Will Davis Jr.'s Blog, page 61

Hola Friends, Change is in the Air

Hello faithful readers, thank you very much for tuning into willdavisjr.com each day. You’re why I write and you mean the world to me. I’m going to take a brief break from the blog, probably until the first week of September. I’m doing so for three reasons:

1. We need to do some much needed work on the site. When I come back online, I’ll have a couple of new options for you. I’m going to start writing a subscription-based weekday devotional called Wake-Up Calls. Some of you will know that my first book was a devotional book under that same name. We’ll, we’re bringing them back. Wake-Up Calls will be short and to-the-point, biblically-based morning devos. When you wake up each day, one will be in your In Box waiting for you. The first one will be sent on Labor Day. Stay tuned her for subscription info. Also, and along with trying to write relevant and helpful blogs a couple of times a week, I’m going to start an occasional letter to all who attend Austin Christian Fellowship, or simply those who want to know what’s going on there. So all three–the devo, the blog and the ACF update will be available on a subscription basis.

2. I also need to take a brief writing break. The adventure Susie and I are walking through with her hand is taking up most of my writing time. I’m a little behind and more than a little emotionally fatigued. So, I’m going to take August to try to refuel a bit and get ahead in some writing. I anticipate hitting the ground running in September.

3. I am pitching a new book. I can’t say what it is yet, but this month will also be spent trying to refine a proposal on a new book. If we land a publisher, I’ll let you know.

I’ll continue to post Pinpoint Prayers and other comments on my Twitter and Pray Big Facebook page. So feel free to subscribe to those if you haven’t already.

Thank you for your love, faithfulness and support. I’ll see you in September!

The Power of Friends

It has been a tough few weeks for my wife Susie. Her thumb injury and subsequent bout with RSD has left her frustrated with her inability to do even the most basic things. Going to the store, making a bed, putting on make-up–things that she used to take for granted– have become daunting and even impossible tasks. So when Susie looked at having to find a dress for my son’s upcoming wedding, well, let’s just say that it was overwhelming–driving, going to stores, trying on dresses, etc, etc, etc. She was seriously concerned that she might not get it done.

Until her friends showed up.

Yesterday Susie had lunch with two members of her small group. She mentioned in passing that she was concerned about the wedding and having the appropriate dress. Then she left, not thinking any more about the comment. Three hours later those two women were at our front door with several dresses, shoes and a bottle of wine. They had “checked out” several dresses and shoes from the kind of places Susie and I would never shop in–nice, expensive places–and brought them over for Susie to try on. When I walked in they were have a little happy hour while Susie modeled the various outfits for them.

My wife looked alive. She felt normal and, more importantly, loved. Her friends had taken several hours out of their day to care for and serve my wife. When they left, Susie had a new pair of shoes–they paid for them–and the perfect dress for the wedding. They solved Susie’s dress problem in just a matter of hours, and they all had a lot of fun doing it. And Susie, she just cried and cried. The outpouring of love left her speechless.

Then, a long-time ACFer and friend showed up with some meatloaf, mac and cheese, green beans and apple something that was simply amazing. We dined like kings last night, while watching sweet Des get her heart-broken on The Bachelorette. What a night!

Now, I know that in the big scheme of things finding a dress for a wedding isn’t a life or death thing. People face bigger, more daunting issues–like can I pay my bills or what will I eat or should I keep this baby or where can I flee to safety from my abusive husband or how can I overcome this addiction–every day. But the answer, according to God’s design, is the same. Friends. God created the beautiful institution known as Friendship, and specifically, Christian friendship, to solve most of the more pressing problems we face in the world today.

If we as Christians will simply live with the same spontaneous, generous and others-centered mindset that Karen, Roxanne and Denise showed us yesterday, then we will greatly alleviate much of the suffering that exists around us. We don’t lack the resources today to meet the major needs and solve the pressing issues around us; we just lack enough Christ-followers with the Acts 2 and Acts 4 mindset that leads them to see a friend’s or neighbor’s needs as their own.

So, step away from this blog and look around. Whose doorstep do you need to show up on today? What needs–large or small–can you meet today with even just a little investment of time or energy?  It may seem like a small or simple gesture to you, but it could be a game-changer for someone else.

Thank God for friends.

Actually, It’s Very Sexy

Two days ago my wife posted a blog about this being her unsexiest summer ever. You can read it here.  In it she included commentary about her severe thumb injury and the subsequent bout with Reflect Sympathy Dystrophy that has left her in constant pain and unable to use her right hand at all. She’s been discouraged, heartbroken, confused and even a little depressed at times. I actually had two return home early from two separate trips because I was so concerned about her.

But in the last few weeks I’ve seen a complete change come over Susie. She’s basically declared war on the disorder that is wreaking havoc in her hand and decided to not let one little appendage (albeit a very important one) dictate how she feels. She’s basically disassociated herself from her hand and started treating it more like a rebellious child instead of a wounded limb. She talks to it, she lectures it, she soothes it and she even disciplines it with her Tens unit (think electric shocks).

She can’t do her hair or put on make-up or much of anything else because of the pain. Thus her “unsexy” comment. But in truth, she’s never looked better to me. I’m watching my wife reach down deep within herself and summon strength and grace from God. I’m watching her personify Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 12 about God’s strength being perfected in our weaknesses. I’m watching her fight a very difficult battle–one that she has to fight completely alone–and win.

Is it sexy? Absolutely. This is what life, love, marriage and commitment are all about. This nasty hand disorder (and specifically, her reaction to it) has made Susie look even more beautiful in my eyes. To me she’s shining.

Sexy (the Hollywood version) isn’t just overrated, it’s a myth. Everything our culture defines as sexy is so superficial and short-lived. But watching a woman who is approaching fifty get more determined and more beautiful as she fights through the biggest physical challenge of her life–now that’s sexy.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. Proverbs 31:25

Why are More People Over 50 Getting Divorced?

A new study by the Center for Family and Demographic Research within Bowling Green State University has found that divorces for those couples over age 50 have increased dramatically since 1980. Read the full article here. The study also found that married couples still live longer and have happier lives than those couples who simply live together, but that’s another blog for another day.

So why are older couples getting divorced at higher rates? While the article offers no clues, theories abound:

Couples live for their kids, and divorce after they’re gone
One of the spouses hits mid-life crisis, has an affair and ends the marriage in a blind rush to find happiness
Couples who have pursued wealth find that it’s empty and divorce in frustration over their unfulfilled expectations

I’m sure you could list others. And while I can only offer my own opinions, and all those listed above sound reasonable to me, I would like to offer a preventative step. Have a marriage mission.

Simply put, a marriage mission is a purpose for your marriage that’s bigger than your collective happiness. It’s a focus, a cause, a point to your marriage that quite honestly minimizes your temporal desires for things and happiness and emphasizes the grand WHY of your marriage.

It’s the couple who teaches Sunday School to 9th graders faithfully for 20 years
It’s the couple who runs the safe house in inner city Detroit
It’s the couple who fosters children taken out of desperate home situations
It’s the couple who live in a foreign country, serving the poor and oppressed together
It’s the couple who mentors who couples through difficult marriage times

And while I’m not saying that these couples don’t have marriage stress, because they do, I am saying that they simply get divorced less. They simply have a reason to stay married that’s bigger than their own happiness. They have a marriage mission.

Do you? Is your marriage facing the doldrums? Are you running out of reasons to stay committed to your spouse? Then pray for and adopt a great purpose for your marriage. Pick a cause that’s bigger than either of you. Take your eyes off of your own happiness and start looking at how the two of you can increase someone else’s. You’ll be amazed at how quickly things will change in your marriage.

I wrote an entire chapter on marriage mission in my book Pray Big for Your Marriage. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Friday Fire Starters–Please Forgive Me

Fire Starters are simple ways to kick-start your time alone with God. Here’s today’s suggestion, although there’s nothing simple about it:

One a piece of paper write the phrase PLEASE FORGIVE ME in a vertical column–with one letter above the next. Then, for each letter, write a word that begins with that letter that is something for which you need to seek forgiveness from God. For instance, your word PLEASE might look like:

P–Pride

L–Laziness

E–Envy

A–Anger

S–Sexual Sin

E–Empty Promises

Then, do the same for the next two words FORGIVE ME. This is a humbling and difficult assignment. It should be. But it will set you well on your way to a meaningful time and deeper relationship with God.

 

Sometime Island(s)

(It’s raining in Austin today, but our nasty drought still lingers. This seemed appropriate for today.)

Just northwest of Austin is a gorgeous body of water known as Lake Travis. Lake Travis, created by the damming of the Colorado River in 1941, is 63.75 miles long, has a maximum width of 4.5 miles and covers 18,929 acres. It plays host to jet skiing, water skiing, boating, sailing, swimming, scuba diving, fishing, and is lined by dozens of beautiful resorts and restaurants. Austin residents know Lake Travis as one of their favorite year-round playgrounds.

But that’s not why it was created. Lake Travis was designed to be a giant reservoir; a huge holding tank that allows the flow of the Colorado River downstream to the Gulf of Mexico to be restricted. The Colorado east of Austin flows through some rich farm and ranch lands—land that desperately needs water. Creatively thinking engineers in the late 1930s figured out that if they could slow down flow of the Colorado, then they could build up a water supply to help out those farmers when they needed it. When the state gets dry and the farmers need the water, engineers can release some to the landowners downstream. As a result, Lake Travis is not a constant-level lake. Its level can rise or fall anywhere from 10-50 feet in the course of year or two. This, of course, drives land and dock owners around the lake crazy, as they have to adjust their docks and waterfront property to the ever-changing water levels. It also means that islands will appear and disappear on Lake Travis, depending on the water level.

Sometime Island is a small section of dirt and rock that first appears whenever the lake gets to be more than 10-15 feet below full. (And as of July 17, 2013 at 8 AM, Lake Travis is 55 feet BELOW full.) It’s located just within view of a major highway so residents and travelers alike who use the road can easily see it. Some clever person nicknamed it Sometime Island because sometimes it’s there and sometimes it isn’t. At the time of this writing, Lake Travis is getting low and Sometime Island has been exposed for over a year. That always leads to a healthy growth of weeds and plants on the island, which only adds to the “charm” of the island. Occasionally, a real estate For Sale sign will show up on Sometime Island. Pretty funny.

I often point to Lake Travis as a metaphor for how God uses us and our resources. There are times you’re going to be very full—you’ll feel well-funded, well-provided for and very secure. You’ll have much more than enough. But then needs are going to come up around you. Drought is going to come to someone’s life. God is going to ask you to send what he has given you to someone else who needs it more than you do. And when you obey him, when you release your resources, your level of more than enough is going to drop. You won’t be anywhere near empty, but you’ll have less than you did. And as that pattern repeats itself in your life, your level of provision will decrease even more. Islands of scarcity might begin to pop up in your life. You might feel less secure, less protected and less able to enjoy what you have. When that happens, remember why God gives us more than enough in the first place. We, like Lake Travis, are reservoirs.  We really enjoy being full, but that’s not why we were created. We were made to be holding tanks for God’s resources; he gives them to us to hold only until someone really needs them. And as we release what God gives us, as we begin to see our provision levels drop, God promises to always resupply us. We will never run dry.

In my lifetime I’ve seen Lake Travis set records on both ends of the spectrum—from flood stage to record lows with Sometime Islands popping up everywhere. And whichever end of the spectrum the lake is at, I know that it won’t be too long before the other will return. If the lake is low, the rains will eventually come. They always do. If the lake is full, then I can expect the lake level to start dropping soon. That’s what it was made for. And when it does, when Sometime Island pops up, I can rest in the fact that somewhere downstream thirsty crops and livestock are being watered, and some farmer or rancher is smiling.

From Enough: Finding More by Living with Less.

Do You Ever Wonder Where God Is?

My wife Susie recently suffered a devastating hand injury. Her recovery has been complicated by Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, a rare nervous disorder that is a reaction to the trauma of the injury and surgery. She’s in a lot of pain (still) and dealing with the implications of what appears to be her (at least temporary) new normal.

Even though she can barely type, Susie posted a beautiful blog recently about trying to hear God through her pain. As many of you can relate, I thought I’d share it with you:

I’ve written this post in my head about 17 times. And today ~ God willing ~ I’ll actually do it.

For over a month I’ve been recovering from a hand injury + surgery. I assumed I’d take the recuperation time catching up on my writing life via Dragon. Total joke. Instead, I’ve been babying my right hand and watching too much HGTV, Food Network and Honey Boo Boo.

And as June folded slowly into July, I spent my days managing pain created not by the surgery ~ but by the nerves over-reacting from the injury. All those little guys took me down. Literally. I slept. I wept. I crept around my house like a cat with barely enough energy to respond to texts and emails, let alone get out of house.

Twice in the last month, I cried so hard I could barely breathe. Not very good news girlzy, huh? Read the Full Blog Here

 

Prayers for Lily

Several Austin Pastors have been praying for Lily Rush, daughter of Lana and Pastor Ryan Rush, to speak. Lily’s an adorable six-year-old with a brain virus. She has never spoken. Several of us believe that God intends to heal Lily, and we have been praying fervently to that end.

I received this email from Ryan this morning. He’s in NY with a few other Austin pastors visiting Brooklyn Tabernacle. He and Lana return to NY next month with Lily to visit a specialist. Here’s the message Ryan sent out:

Friends, 

Many of you know that Lana and I are in New York this week with several pastors discussing prayer in the City of Austin – and praying for the City of Austin!  This trip was planned months ago – long before we knew that next week would be Lily’s doctor’s appointment at NYU hospital.  Since we received that news two weeks ago, we’ve been really stressed at being away this week before the visit with The Bird. We came to NY to do that because of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and their longstanding Tuesday evening prayer service.  

  If you haven’t read Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Jim and Carol Cymbala were called to this dying church thirty years ago and it was almost dead.  All they knew to do was cry out to God, and the Lord began to move.  Much like Bannockburn, they have a heritage of prayer, but I have never witnessed so many so passionate and expectant for God to move.  As you can imagine, part of the reason for their fervency is the desperation of living in a very dark place.  Their church, in fact, is in the heart of a the City surrounded by drugs, gangs, crime, and prostitution.  

  Today, they worship in a renovated theater that seats 5,000.  On Tuesdays, every seat is taken by people coming to pray.  The service begins at seven, and people begin to trickle in at 5PM to pray at the altar.

  When Pastor Cymbala heard we were coming, he invited us to meet with him before the service to update him on what was happening in Austin. It was a pleasant half-hour conversation, and right at the end David Smith mentioned that Lana and I would be back in the City next week with our daughter.  Jim graciously asked for more details so he could keep her in prayer, and of course we were grateful for his sensitivity and compassion. 

  The prayer meeting began with people lining up for one-on-one prayer with deacons and prayer leaders at 6:00.  Hundreds of people lined up – extending to the very back door.  They somehow prayed for everyone in line with about five minutes to go before the service started.  They began with some incredible worship and praise before Pastor Cymbala came to the podium.  

The first words he said were, “I would like to ask Lily’s mom and dad to come right here to the front.  I believe the Spirit is calling us to pray specifically for this little girl in Texas tonight.”  He repeated Lily’s story to the congregation, asked his pastors to surround us, and asked everyone to cry out to God for Lily.  And for fifteen minutes, 5,000 people prayed for a miracle.  Pastor Cymbala wept for our little girl.  Black people and Hispanic people and white people and everyone in between called out to God for Lily by name.  For Lily in Texas to speak and worship.  

  The service continued with more music, with specific prayer request distributed on cards to everyone in the audience who divided into pairs to intercede, and with a brief message from the Book of Acts.  Toward the end of the service, Pastor Jim reminded the crowd about Lily.  He then shared that he realized Lily’s family wasn’t the only one in the room with an urgent need, and he asked others in crisis to come to the altar for prayer.  At least 500 filled every space at the front and we sang and prayed.  

  And while hundreds gathered at the altar, I couldn’t help but think that God had set aside a time just for The Bird to be prayed over.  And He did it just a subway ride away from where she’ll see a doctor next week that we didn’t even know about when we had tickets to be here this week.  I won’t presume to know what God is up to.  But a God who is great enough to bring all of these things together is certainly capable of saving His best for last, and we’re expecting Him to do something great – whether He heals her completely or He has something better in mind. 

  The pastors we’re with are going with us Thursday morning before our flight to pray in front of the doctor’s office.  It’s on 34th Street, and I’ll let you make your own joke about the miracle we want there.  Some other pastor friends have already scheduled a prayer service for Lily this Sunday evening before we leave for (return to) New York on Monday.  We almost feel like we’re cheating receiving all of this special intercession for our little girl, but we’ll take it.  I just wanted to share with a few of you about God’s favor this evening – and yet another reminder of His Mighty Hand at work in extraordinary ways.  

 Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel. He is able!

 Grace and Peace, 

 Ryan Rush

Senior Pastor, Bannockburn Baptist Church

Will you pray with us for Lily’s healing? You can contact Ryan and let him know of your prayer support at ryanr@bbcfamily.com.

“Hail Satan!” Seriously?

The Texas Sate Capital has been the site of many ugly political scenes in recent history, but none as ugly perhaps as the clashes between pro-life and pro-choice forces of late. Last week, as the opposing sides confronted each other, the pro-choice crowd began chanting “Hail Satan!” in the faces of the pro-lifers. READ THE FULL STORY HERE. Of course religious groups from all over the country condemned the tactic, including the actual satanists church. And while I don’t believe that there was a single bona fide satan worshipper in the pro-choice crowd that day, and while I think that they were probably mocking the perceived religious zeal of their pro-life counterparts, and while I don’t believe that those who support abortion are also satanists, I do think a word of perspective, perhaps warning, is appropriate here.

You don’t want to mess with satan. You don’t want to invoke his name, jokingly or otherwise. Words matter. Names have power. And to use satan’s name in any form other than rebuking him in Jesus’ name is to invite a level of spiritual trouble that can be difficult to overcome.

Let’s remind ourselves what we know about the devil:

he is real
he is (probably) one of the most powerful beings in the universe
he is the source of all evil, hatred, rape, murder, torture, injustice and any other insidious form of terror you can imagine
he is opposed to anything good and anything connected to God
he hates you and intends only evil, pain and suffering for your life
he lies
he is defeated

I believe those who worship satan (mockingly or otherwise) show a frighteningly high level of spiritual naiveté. In doing so, they open themselves up to all kinds of nasty spiritual oppression and harassment that quite frankly they don’t understand. The only time, and I mean the ONLY time, you want to speak satan’s name out loud is when you’re reminding him or others of the reality that Jesus has soundly beaten him:

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:15
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 20:10

Friends, political passion and furor do not justify extremely poor judgement. The pro-choice people that dared to chant satan’s name last week have no idea what they’re messing with, and are more than likely very unprepared to deal with the spiritual implications of their behavior. Let’s pray for them and if given the chance, share Jesus’ love with them. I’m afraid they have difficult days ahead.

The Power of Volunteers and Sacrifice

In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. It was one of the deadliest and certainly most costly natural disasters in our nation’s history. As I write this, it’s been nearly six years since the storm. But hundreds of ministries and churches (including ours) are still sending money, resources and people to serve the Gulf Coast area. More than one pastor in the area has told me that if the Church hadn’t come to the aid of those suffering, nothing would have gotten done. The government simply wasn’t ready to respond to a crisis of such magnitude. But the Church was. Within hours of the storm’s passing, dozens and dozens of relief teams from churches all over the country descended on the area. What occurred in the months that followed was one of the largest relief and restoration efforts in our nation’s history, and it’s still going on today. And it was entirely volunteer driven, privately funded, and below the government’s and media’s radar. Those with more than enough came to the aid of those who suddenly found themselves with less than enough and the rest, quite literally, is history.

But what kind of shape would the Gulf Coast be in today of the Church hadn’t responded? Think of the needs that would have gone unmet and the lives that would have been trapped in despair and suffering if people hadn’t given sacrificially on their behalf. That’s what happens when you don’t give—needs don’t get met.

From Enough: Finding More by Living with Less. Enough is on sale this week only in both paperback and e-formats. Learn more here:

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