GlocalNet

This week, I’ve been in a meeting with Loren Cunningham, and, wow! what a passion, a vision, a drive, and a love for God he has. I was learning so much from him about global engagement and other issues. He sees the future so clearly. It doesn’t matter that he’s 70. His best work, frankly, may be what he’s doing now. But, had he not been faithful in the small, risky things years ago, he wouldn’t be heard like he is and, I believe, will be by the broader church. As I was going to meet with him, I was traveling with Leighton Ford--another man who’s had a massive impact on my life. At 75, he stands as tall and as sharp as ever with keen insight and unbounded energy. As we were driving, we passed where Billy Graham lives. He said, “they’re getting weaker and older and it’s hard on them but they keep going.” When I got to the meeting, Steve Douglas was there—recently having taken over the reigns from Bill Bright--another giant. I want to finish like those guys.

In their youth, they blazed trails as pioneers and adventurers in ministry. In their midyears, they leveraged their influence and engaged society at significant levels. In their senior years, they continued to think, plan, see the future and position the ideas and leaders to come.

For all of them to do what they’ve done has taken entire lives--not just spurts and specialties. Father, I pray that I will finish like that—but, when my time is done, others will run on ahead because I’ve left them a fire, a wheel, and a network. Peter Drucker impacted Bob Buford pretty dramatically. I never met Drucker, but have read his books and heard him quoted, and benefited. I have met Buford and Drucker lives on in him, and will be passed on through me to young pastors and others. Legacy is created by value and impact that extends beyond oneself. Father, may that be true of me when I’m 95.

God answers prayers. This week, I was thinking “Lord, I must get my second book finished and to the publisher . . . I must get our church in its new building . . . I must get my sermon finished for Sunday . . . I must get these churches to engage this nation . . . I must help this intern with their church plant . . . I must meet with this person . . . Lord, just give me an extra day.  If I had one more day!  I don’t want to come up short and I want to get it all done!”

What if the seven days were granted by God at the request of people to extend the week an extra day? What if initially there were four-day weeks? You worked three, worshipped and played one. But, several had a hard time getting their work done and they dreamed of just one more day! So God created a fifth day. And, at first, everyone loved it--but, in time, they filled it up so fast that they were once again running like crazy trying to get everything done. So they prayed and asked God for a sixth day. “Oh God, give us that sixth day--if only I had one more day--what could I do!” So God saw that it was good, and created the sixth day. Men could now invent wheels and create fires, not just hunt and gather and count and sell. And, then, something happened--man learned to write and ride horses. Trips took a long time, writing took quiet and undisturbed reason to think through--now people could expand their business. They focused on breeding faster horses, and found that writing with charcoal was quicker than stone tablets and once again man was busy. So, he begged God, “Oh God, could we have a seventh day, if only we had a seventh day we could work, get it all done, and have time to enjoy life and our families.” God granted their request.

Father, this day, help me be focused and disciplined to do excellent work. Help me know when to say no.  And when I say yes, may it be a good and powerful and effective yes.

I was getting on the plane to return home from speaking somewhere and I lucked out. I got on the upgrade list and got to upgrade. I was getting my seat ready--my laptop was ready--books and files in the seat in front of me--I’d work like wild for the next two hours. The guy behind me was talking on his cell phone. It was as if he wanted the whole plane to hear him, or he was trying to talk to Helen Keller! You could hear the conversation. “Make sure they’re there to pick me up, have so and so get me so we can talk while heading to the meeting . . . have the projector set up. . .” What caught my ear, though, was his one phrase, “This will be an exhausting day—traveling--setting-up, for just 10 minutes.”

Isn’t it true, that most of what we do doesn’t take nearly as much time as getting ready for it? We study, prepare, write, organize, etc., and generally it comes down to 10 minutes of something--selling an idea, moving people to action, or organizing something. Big things happen in 10 minutes, or they don’t happen.

God, help me this day to really do well in those ten minutes that I plan. Help me recognize the ten minutes You put in front of me for which I have not planned: When You have me meet someone for some purpose in their life, or my life, that I can’t see at the moment--when someone is hurting and You place them in front of me--when someone is searching and they bump into me--when someone is singing, and it slows me to listen.

Ten minutes--ten thousand years--all the same in Your eyes, God.

I WANT IT ALL! Man I got dreams and most of them aren’t free--but they are all about God and faith so that makes them OK--right? So, if these dreams are from God then I want my fair share now so I can do everything that God needs done so He can be successful--and me too--right? Dream the biggest dream you can so God will have to fulfill it--right? My Mama always told me I was special and Mama don’t lie--right? Wrong. I know your Mama loves you but only your SAT scores tell the truth!

This day, Father, help me dream only Your dreams and use me only as a channel to fulfill what You want done. This day, Father, fill me with the Spirit and make me incredibly sensitive to You to recognize where Your Will begins and ends and where mine kicks in--so I can kick mine off. This day, Father, help me lay down all of “me” on the cross, so all of You can be raised up.

This month, as I focus on what the last year has been and what the next one may be, slay my flesh, pride, arrogance, plans, fear, stress, burdens, impatience, and everything else that will get in the way of what You want. Help me to look only at what You’ve given me and be faithful with that, and not look over at someone else’s ice cream bowl to see who got the most. Help me be more childlike and less childish.

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