I See You

I believe one of the most basic human longings is to be seen and heard. Sometimes our path of life manages to pull the desire out of us, but it is still at the heart of who we are. We crave being acknowledged--not for the things that we have done, but simply to know we have value. We want to know we matter to someone and we are cared for. We want to know our presence means something. When this is conditioned out of us (whether emotionally, physically, or spiritually) we become less than who we are supposed to be. When people walk by without noticing, we are marginalized.

This validation can't just be something we seek, but must be what we offer to others as well. To be truly human we need to open our eyes to the people around us and acknowledge their existence. Learn to make eye contact with our fellow sojourners in life and let them know they are seen. Refuse to walk blindly by people who are marginalized by others. Be brave enough to halt our schedules and let our presence say, "I see you. I want to hear you." We might discover we have more in common with people than we realize. These brief moments will bring value to those we see and even make our own lives just a little bit better.

A Word for Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day and I am reminded again that I am a fortunate man. I am married to a loving, faithful wife and mother to our three children. My own mother persevered for many years to take care  of all of her children. I am also lucky enough to have a wonderful mother-in-law who has been part of my life for almost 23 years now. It's more than one man deserves and certainly a greater blessing than anything I have done to earn it. I wanted to pay homage to these three women today and wondered what to write that would encapsulate them all. It didn't take long for one word to come to mind that fit all three: brave.

In their own respective ways they have stared down cancer time & time again, overcome horrible circumstances, sacrificed emotion, money, and tears, fought through overwhelming adversity, endured the shadow of death, and found new life. Their bravery doesn't mean that they understand everything they endure or that situations don't sometimes overwhelm them. It simply reflects their passionate perseverance through adversity and their indomitable will that refuses to cave in when others would quit. Their courage is shown in the way that they continue to love and push ahead even when it isn't easy. These are three of the bravest women I know and I am honored to love them all.

Be Brave

A friend of mine used the word "brave" to describe Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today. While I am in complete agreement, I will admit that it isn't the first word that I think of to describe him even though it should be. While Dr. King was a passionate Christ follower who desired equality for all people, it certainly took a substantial amount of courage to stand so firmly in the face of adversity. His continuing example of fortitude can be seen in many different people:

• A single mother who works multiple jobs amidst personal sacrifice to provide for her children
• A couple who has just received a cancer diagnosis and begins the process of treatment and recovery
• A teacher who spends personal money to help her students when they don't have the resources to help themselves
• Pastors & churches willing to forge a partnership to reach a community regardless of differences in worship style and ethnic background
• Friends that are willing to speak the truth in love even when that truth is hard to receive
• Those that are unwilling to accept injustice as "that's the way it's always been here" and strive to do something about it
• A recent widower who chooses to use his time to invest in local schoolchildren
• A young man who seeks out a positive role model when he hasn't had one to follow in his own family
• Parents that pray fervently for their children and strive to teach them how to choose to follow God's path for their own lives when the rest of the world doesn't always understand their decisions
• Pursuing change for the sake of righting wrongs even if it makes key influential people uncomfortable
• A church that reacts with genuine compassion for the LGBT community, victims of domestic violence, drug addicts, the poor, and those that are incapable of helping themselves
• People who give up the comforts of home to serve in the mission field--both domestically & internationally.

Modeling bravery and doing the right thing are very closely associated with each other. They combine to create a legacy that is God-honoring and worthy of being followed. I am grateful for Dr. King and others whose names we will never know that we were willing to live a life of courage.