Stay The Course

I just returned from Tucker's four and a half month knee doctor check up since his ACL surgery. Things are progressing well. He is now cleared to push the weights harder. He will start running in another month. It has been a slow journey but now Tucker will begin seeing the payoff.

Much of life is staying the course. Going through the same monotonous routines over and over again. Going to the office or the shop. Cooking another meal. Washing more dishes. Doing another load of laundry. Mowing another yard. Making another call. Returning another email. Attending another meeting. Having another devotion. Attending another worship service. Studying for another message. Writing another blog. Not very exciting.

Like I said, much of life is just staying the course. Don't miss this fact. Many times in the mundane monotonous routines of our day Jesus shows up and does something unexpected. Need proof. Just read the entire fifth chapter of the gospel fo Mark. Read Matthew 8:1-3. Try John 11. Jesus encounters different people and does something extraordinary.

I can hear you saying, "Yeah, Matt. Jesus did that kind of stuff in the Bible. He doesn't show up in real life today to do anything spectacular. He doesn't do that in my life."

Well let me give you a couple of modern day examples. Something out of my life. Times when Jesus surprised me while I was just trying to stay the course. Brenda and I were in Corpus Christi sitting in the home of a retired physician we were just getting to know several months ago. A preaching engagement brought us to south Texas and the good doctor and his wife graciously opened their home to us. In fact they opened it on more than one occasion though we were complete strangers to them.

On this night Dr. E. asked me about our finances. I gave my standard reply. "God is our faithful provider." I went on to explain our conviction that we did not share our personal needs with people but took them to God. He did not fully understand why we had that conviction. We talked on late into the night about a number of subjects.

Suddenly he got up to leave the room without saying a word. When he returned he handed me a check. He told me to receive it in love and gratitude which I humbly did. I discovered later the check was for a $1,000. Earlier that morning before driving the seven hours to south Texas we did not know how we afford the trip in addition to our normal expenses. We stayed the course. Jesus met us in extraordinary fashion.

Let me give another example. A few weeks ago Brenda and I were invited to a gathering of believers for a special meal and celebration. We accepted though the gathering took place two hours from our home. Wearied we drove after Brenda got off work. We did not know anyone there but the one who invited us and her family.

At one point in the evening I walked off alone outside. The temperature dropped after the sun went down. I went off to be alone with my Father and commune with Him. I got interrupted by another lady we knew but had not expected to be in attendance that night. We talked briefly and then she grabbed my hand and slid something into it. She communicated her love and we returned to the tent. She had slipped a check for $1,400 in it. Brenda and I stayed the course on that day to attend that meeting. We had no idea on that course Jesus had a blessing for us. Once again He met us in an unexpected way.

I could tell many other similar stories. I can also recount stories when a phone call came at just the right moment opening an opportunity to minister I could not foresee and did not expect. That is exactly what happened in my current position serving as an interim pastor to a wonderful flock. I received a phone call I did not expect from a man I had not seen in years. We used to attend the same church. God opened a door for their church to find an interim pastor and for Brenda and I serve, love and receive love.

We never know when Jesus will show up and surprise us as we are staying the course. It makes staying the course more exciting. We never know what He will do on any given day. Jesus is filled with surprises, revelations, divine appointments and fresh encounters with Him.

Stay the course. Do not lose heart. He could show up anytime now and blow you away like He did the lepers, the blind, the immoral, the crippled and the demon possessed in the four gospel accounts. He will meet with us too as we stay the course. Let us not lose heart along the way.

Galatians 6:9 (NKJV) 
⁹  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.