Tortilla Chips and Jesus

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect... I Peter 3:15

I was snacking on tortilla chips late last night, which is completely out of character for me, and so got me thinking about why I was doing it. Typical of most of my late-night thinking, my introspection produced a straightforward and unadorned conclusion:

"Ohhhhhhh. Salt tastes so good right now!"

The next thought was about as deep as the first.

"I think I'm thirsty now."

Then it dawned on me - Jesus might have thought the same thing at some point. I doubt he was eating tortilla chips, but certainly salt was a precious commodity back in the day, before sugar and spices were so easily available to make things taste good. He told his followers they are "the salt of the earth." Why salt? Because it makes people thirsty, and thirsty people need a drink. What better drink is there to offer than the Living Water.

Question: Are we interacting with our friends in a way that makes them thirsty for Jesus? What would that look like? Does your attitude toward your life make others want whatever it is you have?

The next time you eat a salty snack or get thirsty, wait a few minutes before getting a glass of water, and pray for your friends. The more that people hang out with us, the more they should acquire an uncomfortable, unshakable feeling that they need refreshment. Pray that that feeling will produce questions, and that when those questions come, you'll be ready to give an answer.

Coming Home

August, September, October, and November are now strewn across the end table, torn off our large wall calendar and bearing the scribbles and colors of our resident Pebble. After spending those four months learning that tenuity is not such a bad companion for our calendars, it seems a bit of a joke to put it back up on the wall with all our appointments and plans. As Solomon once said, “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” Coming home after four months is nice, don’t get me wrong, but it also feels… tenuous.

dodgeball & jesus

You ever have one of those days when you just feel out of it and even though there’s nothing in particular that’s bothering you, it’s just a little bit of everything that grinds away at you to the point that you just want the day to be over?  Well, today was one of those days for me.

I had a lot going on in my heart and in my mind, and even in college group tonight, there was just something that was distracting me from being fully engaged in the message and in worship [I know, I know... I'm the pastor but hear me out].  I found that at many moments throughout the day, I just had to keep giving to God whatever it was that arose to the surface of my heart and mind and it was just a constant thing, you know?