Failed again? The warden of your present may define its duties based on instructions from the parole officer of your past, but neither possess custody of the keys to your future. -#DontFightTheDarkness
Tag: Christianity
A Coffee Lover’s Hell
A Coffee Lover’s Hell
The other day I’m sitting in the drive-through at Starbucks scoring a much needed caffeine boost—a tall white chocolate mocha. Now, fellas, I normally drink my coffee black, but every now and then I like to live on the dangerous side of caramel, milk, and whipped cream. I expect the usual delays when using drive-through, but the lady in the car in front of me was obnoxiously slow. Obliviously, inconsiderate of the patient coffee aficionados behind her, she acted as if the world revolved entirely around her bulging car emblem, plush leather seats, and manicured nails. She put the “star” in Starbucks; it was her movie, she was the star. Starbucks was supporting cast, and the line of cars jammed behind her were just, well, unpaid extras who should be happy just to inhale her exhaust. She read and reread the menu like she was proofing the fine print of her Global Life insurance policy. I just knew that at any moment the sky would crack, Jesus would rapture the Church, and I would be forced to leave my car in Starbucks’s drive-through!
Am I Being Punked?
Finally, after the cows came home, she selected her beverage of choice and crept sluglike to the window. Once there, she took her time receiving her beverage from the server, sipped it, and paused as if critiquing the latest Chardonnay, placed it tidily in the cup holder, and rearranged something in the passenger seat to accommodate her incoming bagel. “Oh, would you warm this for me please?” Are you kidding me right now? After receiving her bagel, she handed it back to the guy and insisted that he warm it. Okay, where are the cameras? At best, I’m the newest victim of the TV show Punked, at worse, another two minutes of my life wasted on a blueberry bagel, nonetheless.
Out of Christmas Cheer
Finally, with warm bagel in hand and steaming java in the cup holder, the inconsiderate driver pulled up. Not off and away, but up. I inched up to the window in the space ungraciously left for me, and to my surprise, the server, without saying a word, looked me in the eye, closed the window, and disappeared into the delicious abyss of brewing coffee, blueberry Danishes, apple fritters, and cash registers. Wow, the nerve! A bad-mannered patron and a discourteous sales rep? I sat there for a moment; it was the Christmas holidays, but I’m quickly running out of cheer. The impolite driver in front was noticeably self-absorbed, and now this Starbucks barista seemed ill-mannered as well.
The Grande Upgrade
At that moment I had a choice to make; I could brood, boil, burst, and give him a piece of my mind, or I could keep calm and allow the peace of God to rule my heart and carry on. Hesitantly, I chose the latter. I took a deep breath and hoped that he would return within the millennia. What I did not know was that the barista had witnessed my patience and, without a word, decided to upgrade my tall white chocolate mocha to a grande!
Sometimes, a wait isn’t a delay but an upgrade! When in the throes of life, we must resist the urge to rush God to get our plans accomplished. God’s plans follow a precise sequencing order from the foundation of the earth. Everything in the universe, the galaxy, and even your life coincides with a strict divine order more fundamentally permanent than 1, 2, 3 or A, B, C. God has an order, a recipe for your life, and a chain of events that obeys a rigid progressive procession.
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God’s favor does not require you to boast the largest house on the block, the most degrees on the wall, or carry car keys laden with high-end luxury car emblems. He doesn’t always choose the upper-echelon to get His work done. A vessel of God may not fit in the confines of cultural Christianity. You don’t have to come from the normal sphere of what “church folk” call blessed to receive approval from God. Indeed, your family may dwell far from “priestly,” but God still desires to use you for the furtherance of His work.
Red-light Distict Doll ~ Rahab
Madam Rahab—“legendary” serves as the only word descriptive enough to describe her. Novelists and playwrights who muse about her escapades centuries later still refer to her by her old job title: Rahab, the harlot. Authors refer to her in this way, not because she never left the old life but because her skills and her beauty were vastly renowned. Reports vary on appearance but undercover patrons, who shall remain nameless, argue that she smells of freshly cut roses and wears vermillion lipstick. Another anonymous client claims the taste of her lips are so “seductive . . . [and] oh, so sweet” . . . and the words she whispers in your ear resonates as smooth as honey from a honeycomb on a warm summer’s evening (Proverbs 5:3 MSG).
Christ Our Hope
Not only is He our current hope, but He is also our coming hope. He is our promise, the consummation of our expected confidence, and He brings with Him all that we will ever need.
Close Your Eyes
Occasionally, I enjoy wearing bowties. Wearing a bow tie provides me with a classic enduring style. When tying the bowtie, I usually stand in front of the mirror to get the best view oof the maneuvers. Most times, this works as it affords me a view of what I’m doing. Yet at other times, the view in the mirror actually hinders my ability to execute the proper moves.
Consequently, I close my eyes and tie the bowtie without looking. Closing my eyes prevents what I see from getting in the way of what needs to be done. This is what Paul means when he says, “Walk by faith not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). God says to you, in order to execute the next stage in your life, you’ve got to close your eyes and move by faith. – Don’t fight the Darkness
You Board it, You Bought it
Sold as Is
The process to promotion can be tough. Compromising character, sacrificing personal integrity, and adopting conflicting views seem to represent the choppy waters of success. In chapter five, “You Board it, You Bought it,” the disciples learn while navigating the unpredictable seas of promotion that Jesus is the most important tackle they will need. When sailing the rough seas of progress, we, too, must bring Him aboard our ship. The disciples learn something special about Jesus during their stormy trek to the other side and readers will, too. Jesus enters our lives as cargo and waits in the background until we promote Him to captain. Let Jesus captain your life to the promised harbor of promotion. View my book,Don’t Fight the Darkness , Here
Don't Fight the Darkness 