Keep your head on a swivel.

Have you heard that phrase before? I use that saying when I’m coaching my son in flag football. As a defensive safety, he must spy the quarterback in case he decides to pull the ball down and run, know where the receivers are so they don’t get behind him, and watch for the frantic traffic of his own teammates flying around trying to make plays. Keeping your head on a swivel is maintaining multiple perspectives all at the same time.

I often find myself worrying about the little things. I try to play it cool and not let people know. I like control. I like feeling or at least appearing to have it all together. Unfortunately, I live in a world that makes declarations for me. I find it rather difficult to push back against those declarations at times. It usually goes as follows:

Dear John,

You MUST have a certain job, make a certain income, travel frequently, have 2.4 children- though not too early or too late, and then retire early. This is THE meaningful and successful life.

Tradition tells us that Psalm 57 was penned while David was on the run. After years of friendship with King Saul and his family, after years of faithful service and loyalty, suddenly Saul has been overcome with a vengeful covetousness and has determined to kill David. Crisscrossing the wilderness and hiding in caves, David finds himself an enemy of the state; his life in danger.

Psalm 50 makes clear who God is and who we are. Which is helpful because in an effort to understand our story in light of God's story we must be reminded of who God is and who we are in relation to Him. We read that God is the Mighty One, that He rules over the earth, is the perfection of beauty, judge, and righteous. 

It’s likely that at one point or another, you’ve encountered the words inscribed inside the base of the Statue of Liberty:

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

It’s easy to live with cancer. Or, at least it’s easy to live with cancer if you’re unaware; up until that point where it begins taking your life.
 
In my teens and twenties I thought that I knew a lot about life, mostly through the eyes and writings of others. The words of these prophets became my truth. I was an atheist. There was no fear of God in any of it, nor was there any shame of sin. In fact, my crew and myself reveled in sin and disdain for God. It was as if we looked through the eye of a needle and boldly exclaimed that we saw all that is.

Psalm 29 speaks of the majesty, power and strength of the LORD; and calls us to, “Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength”, and  “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name” (v. 1-2). Ascribe means to, “lay something to the account of a person; to give credit to an attribute”.

When we worship the LORD and ascribe to Him the glory due His name we humbly give credit and acknowledgement to God for the attributes and characteristics that already belong to Him...we worship Him for Who He is...for His great power, His holiness, His steadfast love and grace, and especially in this chapter, His sovereignty over all creation and the world; which includes our lives.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 
 
Have you ever uttered these words? Similar ones? Or perhaps you’ve simply felt them? I have. And often do. Be it for a moment, day, month, year, or even years, surely the opening cry of Psalm 22 has at some point wrung through the hearts of all who name Jesus as their Lord. Nor should it surprise those who seek to follow in their Master’s footsteps.

When I think of living with the Lord in His house, on His holy hill, I think of a big party in the Lord’s backyard. How awesome will it be to hang out at a barbecue in the Lord’s backyard?  I imagine the taste of delicious ribs and the amazing feeling of companionship with God and His family. 

Psalm 15 creates a picture of the life of a person who will live in the Lord’s home (v. 1), and be on His barbecue guest list.

A few years ago, I was at a conference for parents of children with autism. I will never forget something the keynote speaker said about raising children (autistic or otherwise). He said, “The most important thing your child needs from you… is to be seen by you.”

There are two massive ash trees in my front yard. They are on either side of the house; the one on the right sits outside our living room window, while the one on the left is adjacent to our bedroom. Their long, wispy branches tower well above the roof of the house; reaching so high that you can see them from virtually any angle on our block.