November 21, 2007 by Matt.

Today we buried a 10 year old girl. It is amazing how that kind of thing makes you rethink what is important. It is so easy to become focused on money, the right career, the right house, the right car or that big LCD TV you just have to have. However, when you watch two friends stand in front of the coffin that contains the body of their 10 year old daughter, you begin to see how meaningless these things are. So, today I rethink what is important in life. For me this means two things: doing kingdom work and taking care of and loving my family.

We often think about how people will remember us. Well, I am sure that nobody will sit at our funeral and talk about that really great house we had, the picture quality on our plasma TV, or how well our car handled. They may reminisce over the meals that were eaten in that house, the football games that were watched on that TV, or the road trips that were taken in that car. And, as clear as these memories will be, they probably will not be able to tell you the square footage of that house, the brand of that TV, or what kind of tires were on that car. The point of this is that what people say about us when we are gone will not be about the things we had, the jobs we held, or how much money we made. People will talk about how we touched their lives. So, what will people say about you?

I fear that over the last couple years I have forgotten, to some extent what is important. I have allowed myself to become focused on career, money, and the THINGS that I have. When I die do I want a bunch of people to talk about the great job I did with the implementation of this computer system or that? NO!! What I want is a long line of people comforting my family with stories of the positive impact I had on their lives. I want my friends and family to exchange stories of the good times that they had with me.

So, as you read this think about where you currently place your priorities.  Think about what is truly important in your life and how much energy you currently spend on this. If you find that the amount of time and energy you invest in something doesn’t match the priority that you feel it should, perhaps now is a good time to change that.

One thing that I know for certain is that I will be taking a good look at what is important and going what needs to be done to make sure that how I spend my time matches what I feel my priorities should be.

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November 20, 2007 by Matt.

I just finished reading Acts chapter 1 and part of chapter 2, the story of The Day of Pentecost. Oh what it must have been like to be so filled with the Holy Spirit that you began to speak in a language that was completely foreign to you. How amazing that a gathering of people from many nations could hear the message in their own tongue, even though the individuals speaking were not of their land and had never previously spoken their language. I have been in situations where I have felt the move of the Holy Spirit. I hold no doubt that I have been influenced by the Holy Spirit. I can remember times when I felt moved to do things that I, at the time, could not explain. I believe this was the influence of the Holy Spirit. I have also been on the receiving end of the Spirits work. I distinctly remember one day while working as the charge nurse in a busy ER. A woman that I had worked with for a short time came up to me as I struggled emotionally and simply said, “Be encouraged.” At that moment I felt as if a huge weight was lifted form me. I later asked her about this and she said that she didn’t know why but that she felt lead to say these words to me. I believe that even as the Holy Spirit lead the people on The Day of Pentecost to speak in languages that they had never spoken, the Holy Spirit spoke to this woman and lead her to give these simple yet encouraging words to me. Even with these experiences I can’t help but think how glorious it would have been to present on that day, and even more so to be one of the ones filled with the Spirit at that moment.

I have never experienced the Holy Spirit as they did on that day. However, I have experienced Him, and I do believe that He continues to work today. Sometimes it may be something as simple as you finding yourself thinking of someone that you haven’t thought about in a while. Or perhaps you just can’t stop thinking about a particular person, no matter how hard you may try. Maybe the sight of an individual fills you with such concern that you are nearly knocked to your knees.

I had that last experience just a few weeks ago, and I can explain it no other way then as the work of the Holy Spirit. While I lead worship one Sunday morning, a certain member of our church walked in the back of the building. The moment I saw her I was struck by this need to speak to her and to pray for her. Through out the remainder of the service I could not stop thinking about this woman. I even mentioned it to my wife as the pastor gave the message. So, after the service I tracked her down. I wasn’t sure what to say and I was a bit nervous, but I had to speak to her. Frantically I searched through the throng of people as one service exited and another prepared to enter. Finally I tracked her down. Feeling very awkward I asked her how she was doing. She gave the usual answer, “I’m fine.” I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew that there was more to the story, so I kept on. I asked her if she was sure and went on to explain how God had placed her very heavily on my heart the moment she had walked into the building. She then admitted to me that all was not as well as she had said. Sensing that she was a bit uncomfortable with where this conversation was going, I did not dig any further. I simply let her know that I loved her, that I was thinking about her, and that I would be praying for her. That was 4 or 5 weeks ago. This past Saturday this woman’s 10 year old daughter died. I didn’t know when I approached her that Sunday morning that her child was going to die so soon, but God did. I firmly believe that I was being influenced by the Holy Spirit that morning and that I was providing encouragement that she needed at the time. I also believe that that encouragement was, in some small way, preparation for what was to come.

Certainly these stories pale in comparison to the lives that were touched on The Day of Pentecost. However, I believe that when we allow ourselves to be influenced by the Holy Spirit we can have just as much impact as they had on that day, even if it is sometimes on a smaller scale. So, when you find yourself thinking of that old friend, contact them. When you find yourself unable to stop thinking about someone one; pray for them. And if you find yourself with an undeniable need to pray for someone, pray for them. I can only hope that when I am in need of encouragement, or prayer that someone out there listens to the influence of the Holy Spirit and takes some action.

Matt N.

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November 19, 2007 by Matt.

Last night a 10 year old girl from my church lost her fight with cystic fibrosis. The question that quickly comes to the mind of those of the world is, “why?” Why did this little girl have to suffer? Why did she have to die so young? Why would God let something like this happen? To the world these seem like perfectly sensible questions. However, I am reminded of a certain scripture, Romans 8:28; “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. (NIV)” As humans we find this scripture hard to grasp. How can any good come from the suffering and death of a little girl? To this I answer, “I don’t know.” However, while I don’t know, God does know. I may never be able to see what good God works from this situation, but I have faith that he will. Why? Because he said he would.

Each week as I select songs for the worship service I pray that God will guide my choices and help me to choose the songs that will speak to people where they are and speak to what is going on at that moment. As I prepared for this week, I was thinking only of Thanksgiving and songs that would be appropriate for the coming holiday. For this reason I chose “Give Thanks”. The chorus of this song says, “And now let the WEAK say I AM STRONG, Let the poor say I am rich, BECAUSE OF WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE FOR US. Give thanks.” As we sang these words I thought of that little girl, that for the first time since her birth can truly say, “I AM STRONG”. As we continued to sing, I couldn’t help but agree with the words. It truly is because of what the Lord has done for us, and this little girl, that we can give thanks. We can be thankful that this little girl is no longer suffering. We can be thankful that she had received salvation. We can be thankful that she is now with our Lord and Savior.

As we enter this holiday season, let’s try very hard not to forget what it is really about. Thanksgiving is just that; a season for giving thanks. So, whether you are a follower of Christ or not, be thankful for the blessings that you have received. I don’t mean the THINGS you own. I’m talking about your health, your friends and family. For that matter, learn a lesson from the little girl I mentioned above. She made the best of every single day. She spent every day grateful just to be alive. This thanksgiving holiday is the perfect opportunity to take a step back and remember what is important. This young girl struggled for each breath while many of us take such a simple thing as breathing for granted. Be thankful and remember what the holidays are really about, and what is really important.

Matt N.

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