Charisa Stories

Tag: Jesus

  • What is the Secret to Come Together?

    What is the Secret to Come Together?

    I am helping with some of the planning for our 50th (not even possible) high school reunion in Southern Ohio. Academically I was only 127 spots away from being Valedictorian at Chillicothe High School! Perhaps I could have applied myself a bit more. It is almost incomprehensible that five decades ago we walked the stage and began our journey through life. I have been nostalgic about the upcoming reunion and reflective about my beliefs when I graduated long, long ago. 

    The one thing I was sure of was that my generation could make a difference. We would fix the mess that my parents and grandparents had made. We believed peace was possible. One of favorite songs from that era was a song The Youngbloods recorded called “Get Together”.  I remember listening to a staticky AM transistor radio while singing along with The Youngbloods. All we had to do was get together. This would be easy enough. Everybody sing now…

    C’mon people now,
    Smile on your brother
    Ev’rybody get together
    Try and love one another right now 

    Nice words. The problem was contained in the last line of lyric above. Try and love one another right now. How is that working out for our peace loving generation? Not so well. It is far easier to sing about loving one another than it is to actually love another. No matter how much I “try” I seem to fail miserably when I determine that I will, in my own strength, love others. It is easy to love some people. But loving the unlovable is the challenge. On that count we as a generation have not done so well. Jesus pointed out my (and our collective) hypocrisy on that count.

    • If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. (Matthew 5:46-47, NLT)

    As an idealistic teen I believed that more education, communication, and edification would change the world. Sound familiar? I believed that the problem was not sin in our hearts like the Bible talked about. The problem was a lack of knowledge and honest communication. I was wrong. The problem is sin. Education and communication certainly help. But real change comes from the inside out. And for me that came from the most amazing revolutionary in history, Jesus Christ. How we have marginalized the powerful teachings of Jesus. He bluntly said that peace was not going to be found in this life.

    • “But the time is coming–in fact, it is already here–when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”   (John 16, NLT)

    Jesus said the Holy Spirit would comfort us in times of trouble and that the peace the world advocates would fall short.

    • “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  (John 14, NLT)

    I watch the news and my heart aches. I wish we could have peace on earth but I have come to believe that is not possible through human institutions. I truly wish it were possible.

    It is not in my trying that we can get together. It is by trusting God and allowing Him to love me. When I understand how much I am loved then I can love others. Only then can we truly love one another and maybe, just maybe, we can come together.

    Want a heartwarming story to share with your kids or grandkids? A runt of the litter named Grunt finds that God has a purpose for every one of His creatures. Check it out!

  • Can Followers of Jesus Disagree with Grace?

    Can Followers of Jesus Disagree with Grace?

    Recently I wrote that the lack of unity is the single biggest problem in the universal church and, of course, in our individual fellowships.

    After posting that article I received a note from high school friend Lona Jo Pierson Bowman. “I agree. Can you go on to describe what unity looks like when we sincerely disagree with each other?”

    Uhhhh….thanks a lot Lona! I have been wrestling with that homework assignment for a couple of weeks. I made a conscious decision a few years ago to focus on communicating the message of grace and identity in Christ. With that I decided to avoid the polarizing path of politics. Some have told me that is cowardly but I can honestly say there is no message more important to me than the liberating freedom of grace. I want to share the joy of living out of what Jesus has already accomplished and God says true about me. That I am a saint. A new creation. A beloved child of God. I relate to the mission statement of Paul when he wrote these words.

    But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (Acts 20:24, NLT)

    I feel called to be a messenger of hope and grace. Plus I feel like the negative team has a pretty full roster of contributors.

    I still believe that is my calling with these humble ramblings. But my friend’s question is a fair one. What does it look like to have sincere disagreements over cultural and political issues?

    It is fascinating how two people can look at the same information and reach completely opposite conclusions. So I am going to offer the “Grace Rules of Engagement” as a roadmap for civil discussion.

    • Sincere followers of Jesus can look at cultural or political issues and have very different opinions. Jesus loves His children on both sides of the argument.

    I know I have changed my views on some cultural issues over my years of walking with Jesus. I was a child in the era when divorce was a mortal sin. I absolutely am committed to the idea of a husband and wife taking their vows seriously. But I learned that the cultural shame of divorce caused many Christian women to feel trapped in relationships of abuse. Clearly that was not the desire of a loving Heavenly Father who ordained marriage. In those sad situations it is necessary to divorce an abusive spouse. In the pulpits of my youth the message was no divorce outside of adultery was ever justified. I had a blind spot about how a declaration that appeared Biblical could foster abuse. So many issues we discuss have similar and complex nuances. We need to discuss, not demonize.

    • The goal of a discussion should not be to win.

    Thoughtful discourse is impossible when one of the participants only cares about winning the debate. The goal of any conversation should be graceful exchange of ideas without rude interruptions, condescending gestures, or angry exchanges. I would rather have a goal of being winsome instead of winning. That attitude fosters conversation.

    • People of different viewpoints should commit to listen. Nothing shows respect more than carefully listening to the arguments of those with whom you disagree and then gently offering thoughtful responses.

    Listen to talking heads on television news shows as they “discuss” different points of view. As soon as one side starts talking the other shakes their head, smirks, and then interrupts and talks over the other person. How is that going to persuade anyone? Yet we tend to do the same thing when we have significant disagreements with people of faith. Listen. Really listen. Let them finish their point. Then respond in grace.

    • Ask questions.

    You will not influence another person by arguing. The way to connect is to ask questions and try to understand why they feel the way they do. I have found that many times people I talk with don’t have a solid reason for their feelings. That can be a opening to honestly discuss difficult topics.

    • Climb out of your bubble

    Find out what the other person is reading and watching. Expose yourself to different points of view and encourage those you have disagreements with to do the same. If you are confident in your beliefs there should be no fear in being exposed to differing viewpoints.

    • All of us are a work in process.

    Every child of God is in process. I am a very different Christian than I was 20, 10, or even 5 years ago. I am growing (hopefully) in grace and truth. I strongly believed and said things years ago that I am grieved about today. Thankfully God was patiently working with my heart and gently shining the light of the Holy Spirit on my blind spots. I need to give that grace to others.

    • Pray for wisdom and grace then leave the results to God.

    So what is the goal when you have sincere disagreements with another believer over cultural issues? Use the “Grace Guidelines” and relax. God may be using you to plant seeds in the heart of the other person. Maybe you have a blind spot that needs the refining work of the Holy Spirit. Share your heart with love and kindness and be open to the possibility that you may be the one who needs to change your heart.

    • Grace never cancels

    Grace does not “cancel”. Grace does not shame. Grace does not answer anger with anger. The person you totally disagree with may be crying out of pain and deep wounding. Perhaps a gentle answer will give hope. Grace does not lash out when challenged. Grace is kind and gentle.

    Being graceful can be a pain in the hind regions but it is what we are called to offer to others. Paul addresses this to the church at Colossae.

    Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

    Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

    Colossians 3:12-17, NLT

    Perhaps the most important thing all of us can do to further the unity in the body of Christ is to memorize that passage and try to implement those words for 30 days. By the grace of God it could become a habit.

    Be kind to those who disagree and remember the words of author Alexander MacLaren. “Kindness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.”

  • Thawing Out Some Lessons From Historic Cold

    Thawing Out Some Lessons From Historic Cold

    Today the temps soared over 70 degrees in Texas. That was an eighty degree swing in just a couple of days. The snow is just a memory but the effects of a record-breaking cold will linger for days and weeks. Joni and I were fortunate to not lose power for more than a few minutes at a time. We dodged the broken pipe issue that continues to plague so many fellow Texans. We had clean and drinkable water throughout the storm.

    Many of our friends and neighbors were not so fortunate. Thousands lost power for days as household temps dropped to dangerous lows. Pipes froze and left them without hot or cold water. Stores were unable to restock essential items and shoppers found aisles of empty shelves and coolers.

    As I prayed for those affected I reflected on the hard lessons learned through the pandemic and this polar blast. For me the main lesson I have learned is realizing what I truly need. People across Texas went from worrying about what luxury item they wanted to buy next to struggling to secure the very basics of life. This week showed rich and poor alike what you really need.

    Shelter and heat. Food. Water.

    The pandemic has also taught us a hard lesson. We may think that what we have lost with Covid is the ability to do things and that is true. But the biggest need we discovered in forced isolation is our need for community. We need one another.

    I am hardly prophetic but I did consider this very issue in my book Waking Up Slowly.

    One of the obstacles to trusting God in our daily walk is how much we routinely take for granted. Dictionary.com definition of taking something for granted is convicting. Anytime we “use, accept, or treat in a careless or indifferent manner” something of value in our lives we are guilty. I don’t think that is intentional for most of us. But it will take intentional thought to notice those overlooked little blessings. The second definition of taking for granted is to accept without question or objection; assume. I assume that those things will always be there.

    I do that almost every day. I assume by my actions that those things will always be there. Take a moment to thank God for things we rarely think about. Things like clean water and abundant and safe food supplies. When was the last time you thought about that? How about hot water when you shower?

    Today I will remind myself of this simple truth. The things you take for granted someone else is praying for. What is your list of small and overlooked daily mercies? Thank God for the ordinary and write down your many taken for granted blessings. I think you will be amazed at how much you (and I) take for granted every single day.

    Waking Up Slowly – Dave Burchett

    I also am trying to rewire my speech to remove the word need from the things I simply want. I don’t need most of the things I say I need to be happy. Coffee might be the one exception. The reality is I merely want those things. My true needs are very simple.

    Shelter. Food and water. Enough income to support those basics. Community. Family. Friends. Those are the things I really NEED.

    There is one more need that becomes more apparent through pandemic, polar vortexes, and societal upheaval.

    I need hope.

    These events are NOT a surprise to God. This pandemic did not find God scrambling to catch up. Sickness, natural disasters, and pandemics are a product of a fallen world that will someday be redeemed. Jesus made it very clear that following Him is not a get out of grief card. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NLT) Yes there will be troubles. Yes there will be heartaches, sickness, and even death. But He has overcome the world. What does that mean?

    It means even in my deepest fear and darkest hour I can know that I am loved, adopted, redeemed and that I have the hope of an eternity with God. I have hope to sustain me. I am not anxious to leave this world but I am also not afraid. I believe I have an eternal inheritance given as a free gift of grace awaiting me.

    The next time life events are causing your heart to be downcast remember the words of Paul to the church at Corinth. He had endured his share of suffering but he knew it would be okay.

    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 4:17-18, NLT)

    Today I choose to focus my gaze on the source of hope and light.

    Jesus.

    Keep your eyes on Jesus and the words of a classic old church hymn will begin to ring true in your heart.

    Turn you eyes upon Jesus
    Look full in His wonderful face.
    And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
    In the light of His glory and grace.

    As I finished a difficult week on top of a difficult year I realize the glory and grace of Jesus is what I need more than anything to make it through.

  • A House Divided Cannot Stand. Will We Let It Fall?

    A House Divided Cannot Stand. Will We Let It Fall?

    I used to joke that it is hard to find a good Evangelical math teacher because the only thing they completely understand is division. I am not sure I think that is humorous anymore as I watch the heartbreaking division in the body of believers that I love and call family.

    My head explodes when I allow myself to wade into the discourse between followers of Jesus Christ on Twitter and other social media. There are important cultural issues that Christians need to prayerfully and gracefully seek God’s wisdom to address. What I see is rarely graceful and that makes me wonder how prayerful the messengers have been before hitting the send button.

    Because of the nature of social media a topic that should be thoughtfully debated instead becomes an us versus them war. The discourse easily drifts toward broad brushing of large segments of the body of Christ with unfair assignation of motives.

    These judgements of motives and personal attacks are so damaging to the message of grace that I hold so dear. Sometimes I try to imagine myself as a skeptical seeker looking to explore this Christianity thing. I am pretty sure if I stumbled on some of these mean-spirited threads I would run straight for the secular hills.

    The irony of this need to “win” the argument at the expense of Christian charity and love may be one more profoundly effective tactic of the enemy. The moment the Church is divided by culture instead of united in Christ is the moment our light is extinguished. Paul noted that God’s sovereignty can take any proclamation of the Gospel and use it for His glory.

    It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. Phillipians 1:15-18

    I hope that most of us wish to communicate the incredibly liberating forgiveness of the Gospel. I hope that most of us wish to be accurate in that communication. But I also hope that most of us wish to be gracious, kind, loving, and thoughtful toward all in the body who desire to celebrate Jesus.

    When asked what the most important commandment was Jesus replied without hesitation.

    “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”

    And he added a second part…”Be accurate and angrily make sure others are accurate at all costs.”

    Hardly. His convicting command is well known.

    The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.”

    Don’t hijack my point. Accuracy is important but you cannot love your neighbor as yourself with condescension, assigning of bad motives, and smug righteousness.

    I wish followers of Jesus would proclaim what we are FOR more passionately than what we are against. What if we decided to spend all of our energy proclaiming that the Son of God came to earth as a human, lived a sinless life, was crucified as a sacrifice for my sin and yours and then was resurrected to show the ultimate victory over sin and death.

    What if we decided to be a little kinder, give a little more, serve a little more often, and commit to unity in our ranks. Joni Erickson Tada has been a quadriplegic for over fifty years yet her joy exceeds most of us when we have a hangnail. She had this to say about unity.

    “Believers are never told to become one; we already are one and are expected to act like it.”

    I have reached the conclusion that lack of unity is the single biggest problem in the universal church and, of course, in our individual fellowships. When a major league baseball team starts to lose games regularly, it is said to have “bad clubhouse chemistry.” That’s a fancy way of saying, “This team doesn’t get along, and the players don’t work well together.” How sad that “congregational chemistry” has the same effect on winning…only our losses are eternal.

    There is no more powerful community than a group of believers who live in unity. Nothing levels the playing field like genuinely following Jesus.

    Famous preacher D.L. Moody had this warning. “I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord’s people were divided.”

    The One that unites us is so much more important than the things that divide us. Can we commit to pray for unity in the body of Christ? The choice is ours.

  • Medicated and Still Unrepentant

    Medicated and Still Unrepentant

    Today’s topic has real potential to rile up the spiritual hall monitors. I expect I might hear from a few of them. Recently I talked to a fellow Christian about depression and anti-depressants. He was resisting trying medication because he felt he wouldn’t be having these problems if he were a “better” Christian. Some folks had told him that he should trust God with his sadness. I agree that bringing our sadness to a compassionate Christ is important. But there can be more to the issue and we, as fellow sojourners in Christ, do a disservice if we merely give depressed friends the “buck-up and do better” pep talk. The old give hundred percent for Jesus challenge can make a sad and lonely person feel even more alone.

    I have some experience with this topic. I am medicated and unrepentant. For years I went through emotional ups and downs that my wife described as my “funks”. She walked on relational eggshells when I was going through these moods. Finally I agreed to see a doctor and try medication. Within two weeks my bride turned to me one morning and uttered a sentence I will never forget.

    “I like you again.”

    She had never stopped loving me but I had become difficult to like at times.

    The medication did a couple of things. It leveled out my moods and helped me to not obsess about problems or problem people. I have since researched the ADD brain and found that my brain scan would look different from most people. Regular readers of these humble ramblings just had a joint response.

    Really? You are not normal? Who knew?

    Moodiness and depression is often caused by brain chemistry that goes askew. In my case the chemical messenger serotonin was not properly regulated. The medication corrected that with pretty amazing results. Not only did my wife like me more (which was a rather huge benefit) but it also helped me discern which struggles were spiritual battles and which ones were brain chemistry issues. That was one of the most liberating experiences in my journey. For years I felt so guilty that I couldn’t shake these emotional blahs by trying harder to trust God with my mood. When my brain chemistry playing field was leveled I could recognize when the problem was truly in my heart.

    Depression can be many things. Medication may not be the answer for everyone and it is not the only tool in the healing toolkit. But it can be a tool that is helpful. I would ask those who are so critical of these medications to answer this question.

    If your cholesterol is too high does it show a lack of trust in God to take medication? Could God not lower your LDL level without the crutch of medication if you simply trusted more? I absolutely believe that God can do that. But I would still do what is medically prudent while believing that God is ultimately in control of my health. My brain chemistry is now stable enough to know that just makes sense. I wonder how that person with bad cholesterol levels would respond if I judged their medical issue as showing a lack of faith and spiritual discipline?

    “Why don’t you mix in some vegetables and trust God to push away from the dessert buffet once in a while? And by the way, don’t be afraid to trust Him to lift your keister off the couch and get some exercise!”

    I think they would rightly take offense to that approach. Yet that is how those who deal with the difficult issue of depression feel when people decide they need to buck up and have more faith to overcome their blues.

    Do you think you might need such help? Ask those who love you and have your back what they think. One of my issues before medication was an inability to see myself accurately. And don’t be too proud to seek that help. Some people need medication and counseling. Some need counseling alone. We all need to be loved and nurtured through God’s Word to walk through the valleys of life. Paul told us we need to walk with others through their current circumstance with grace and love.

    “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15, NLT

    Paul said to weep with them, not give them homework!

    Joel Scandrett writes these words.

    Antidepressants are a boon to those who truly need them, but they are not a panacea for the human condition.

    Well said. You need to trust Jesus for forgiveness of your sin condition. You need to understand that you are a new creature in Christ and that the Holy Spirit gives you the power to overcome sin. But don’t let a physical condition hinder your spiritual growth because of pride or shame.

    I can say with complete conviction that the medication helps and that frees me to embrace this truth from God’s Word.

    God is (my) refuge and strength,
          always ready to help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46, NLT) 

    Amen. And to all of the spiritual hall monitors I regret to inform you that my cyber mailbox is full. What unfortunate timing.

  • Who (or What) Are You Serving?

    Who (or What) Are You Serving?

    Recent news headlines and Old Testament daily readings generated today’s musing. I read the story of the Israelite people turning again and again from the God who had faithfully provided for and protected them. They decided to take control and follow man-made gods and worthless idols. I immediately flexed my judgement muscle and wondered how they could be so foolish? Then a quite voice in my head said “not so fast my child”.

    Followers of Jesus in this country have been blessed with freedom of worship and expression for decades with very little push back. That is changing and I fear we are reacting a lot like the Israelite people did in the desert. We want to take control. We are prone to take our eyes off of God and put our hope in other places. Nothing that is happening is a surprise to our Sovereign God. His plan for mankind will be accomplished and He is our only reliable hope for the future. Hear me out. I am not saying we shouldn’t be active and concerned citizens who love the land God has given us. I am saying we must do those things through the lens of God’s Word. We must respond while heeding His commands for how His children should behave when we represent Him.

    I thought about some seriously head and heart messing stuff I have been reading from Tim Keller. Keller wrote a thought provoking definition of idolatry and how we can substitute even good things for God.

    “Sin is building your life and meaning on anything, even a very good thing, more than on God. Whatever we build our life on will drive us and enslave us. Sin is primarily idolatry.” (Tim Keller, “Talking About Idolatry in a Postmodern Age,” www.thegospelcoalition.org)

    That is disturbing for a guy who was taught from childhood that sin is simply a list to check off to validate my righteousness. That list contained but was not limited to movies, liquor, cigarettes, dancing, shacking up, long hair and rock and roll. I thought I was doing pretty well on the idolatry commandment.

    Tim Keller’s definition of sin takes all of the fun out of self-righteous comparison and judging. Idolatry is building your life on anything more that God. I once built my own political idols. I am embarrassed to confess that for a season of my life it consumed my heart and thoughts more than God. It doesn’t matter if the idol was an elephant or a donkey. The sin was placing my hope in the ideology of a political system and not on the foundational truth of God. It is no surprise that it was a time of frustration, anxiousness, and anger. It is also not a surprise that God seemed distant.

    My grace epiphany changed me. I realized I could not place my faith or hope in fallible people. History shows us that the politics of man change constantly. Only God is unchanging, loving, and faithful. From that day on I decided I would not forget where my hope is found. I determined to pray that no matter how much I might be anxious about something my God can use events for His plan. And that means praying for those who I disagree with and not making them my enemies. God is in control. How could you have seen how God would use the evil actions of Joseph’s brothers when they sold him into slavery? His brothers were convinced that Joseph would exact revenge. His response of grace and understanding of God’s sovereignty is a blueprint for all of us.

    “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. (Genesis 50:19-20, NLT)

    Where I place my hope will define my actions and reactions. I wrote this in Waking Up Slowly. My worth is not in always being right or being the smartest guy in the room. My worth is defined by being a child of God and a friend of Jesus. When I keep my eyes on Jesus, I maintain a better perspective on every area of my life. It is a hard truth to admit that we often worship the things of this world because they really can be good things. God in His loving grace does not desire for us to be deprived of good and pleasurable things. He simply wants us to place them in proper order and to understand they are sources of happiness and not the source of joy. Later in the passage Paul gives one key to avoiding idolatry and where our identity should be found.

    Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us. (Colossians 3:10-11, NLT)

    Your assignment is to take a moment to read verses 12-17 to see what the results of this action might look like. There will not be a quiz.

    Another key is to remember a campfire song from the Jesus movement that was, to borrow the approach of Law and Order, “ripped” from the Gospel of Matthew. (Matthew 6:33)

    Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
    and all these things shall be added unto you.
    Allelu, alleluia

    Everybody is going to serve somebody or something. Who (or what) are you centering your life on today? There is no other hope that I can trust like hope in Jesus.

  • The Incredible Blessing of an Advocate

    The Incredible Blessing of an Advocate

    Over the years I have been blessed with many people who made a difference in my life. Recently one of those persons came to mind.

    Almost forty years ago I was hired as the new television director for the Texas Rangers. Don’t ask me how. Based on my experience it was the equivalent of calling up a player from the lowest level rookie league to start in the major leagues. To say I was scared and lacking confidence would not begin to express my feelings. I had no credibility in the baseball world and just a smidgen more in the television world.

    I had no idea how fortunate I would be to work with announcers Steve Busby and Merle Harmon. Steve Busby became and remains a dear friend. He patiently taught me baseball at a much higher level through the eyes of a major league star. But it took me longer to fully comprehend what Merle Harmon did for me.

    Merle had a storied broadcast career and he was an amazing announcing talent.

    But the most memorable thing about Merle was his kindness toward others. When he found out this “kid” was directing his broadcasts he didn’t condescendingly tell me what to do. He may have sensed my inner fear but I suspect he was just being himself when he took me under his wing. Merle became my advocate around the league. He walked beside me into clubhouses and press boxes all over the country. Merle would introduce me and tell each person that I was his partner and I had his blessing. His credibility was gifted to me and it made a difference both in how I was received and my confidence to do the job.

    I will be forever grateful to Merle Harmon for making the effort to make me feel comfortable and telling others about his confidence in me.

    Merle’s impact in my life came to mind as I read a Scripture verse about another Advocate that we have as Christians. Paul writes about a fear that most of us have likely felt as followers of Jesus. I know that I have. The voices in my head say things like this.

    You are falling short.
    You are not doing enough.
    How can God still love a mess like you?

    In those moments of doubt I try to remember that I have an Advocate that not only paid the price for my sin but also constantly defends me.

    Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. (Romans 8:34, NLT)

    The phrasing in The Message is really fun.

    The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! (The Message)

    Jesus is sticking up for you and me. When the Enemy accuses us he often has a strong case. But our Advocate says it doesn’t matter. That child is mine and you can’t have them.

    Your grace challenge for this week. Be an advocate for someone who needs encouragement, support, and love. And when you are feeling like you are not enough try to focus that you have the greatest Advocate you could ever imagine.

    Jesus.

    My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. (1 John 2:1, NLT)

    Another amazing gift of grace and a great thing to remember in this upside down world.