Life Worth Hollering About

Sunday afternoon I scooted down to the lake with a stack of books and a water bottle and my little folding chair. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been there, so from the minute I arrived, I was taken by the warm emerging colors of fall. A sprinkling of fishing canoes and the sound of the ducks pushed me to sit down and record the following...

Arriving at the lake today, the first thing I noticed is the color of the trees. Reds and oranges and smudges of purple surround the water now. A new season is being ushered in. Something about coming to the water’s edge that at once renews you and reminds you of all that is and was and is to be. Water bodies remind you of eternal bodies. They always mirror the face of their maker.

Three young boys are playing at the edge. “Mom! Mom!” they started screaming. “Look what we found! It’s ALIVE!” they hollered.

“What is it?” came a concerned voice drifting across the sand.

“A turtle!” they shrieked together and ran to show her the little creature. Little boys. So ready to explore all boundaries and apprehend every new discovery with such exuberance and delight. Aren’t they great? They remind me of Huck Finn and his pals, tirelessly inventing new games and contests. Eight-year-old boys sure know how to enjoy the adventure of the day.

Lord, give me that childlike joy. Life is meant to make us holler! What better description of the abundant life?

Thank you for coloring the world with so much to be discovered and enjoyed. Thank you for the newness of seasons and the excitement of knowing that YOU never change!

After this, a chilly wind picked up and I couldn’t sit still any longer. I was thirsty for a little adventure too. I walked around the sandy beach and came to one of the mothers of the fishing, rock-throwing, hollering eight-year old boys.

"Your kids are delightful," I told her as we watched them scrambling from one exciting idea to the next. "It's been a long time since my sons were that age."

It was a wonderful chance to talk with Mary, a young mother of four, who I discovered had a near-death experience that radically changed her life. She confessed her dissatisfaction with religion, affirmed her faith in God, and expressed a deep concern for her kids and her husband.

"My husband crosses himself every time he passes a church and he goes to mass each week, thinking he will be accepted into heaven for doing these things," she said with a pleading look in her eyes. "But I keep trying to tell him that it’s more important to the Lord to live as a disciple every day than to perform certain holy rituals at certain times."

I agreed, reminding her of Jesus' own words to the Pharisees and the "white-washed tombs" of his time. They made sure they kept the outside painted and pretty, but inside, he told them plainly, they were full of dead bones. No matter how we dress up or cover up the outside, the Lord most definitely looks within, and cares about matters of the heart the most.

It was a joy to talk about the freedom that comes from the cross alone, rather than a good works based message that many churches offer. Though she seems to understand the need for reconciliation (a message which she came out of the near-death experience with), I think she may still have some works-based philosophy entrenched in her thinking after a lifetime of teaching. But her heart seems pure and I know the Lord is working to liberate her and her family.

"What do I teach my kids?" she asked honestly.

"Point them to God directly through His Word. If it's not in the Bible," I said as plainly as I know how, "then don't worry about it." In saying this, I was hoping she would grab onto the absolute truth that the focus of our hearts and lives should be KNOWING HIM, rather than performing mindless rituals or any other thing that the minds of men have invented to make us feel close to holiness. True holiness is having God at work in your life on a moment by moment basis. It's the LIFE dwelling within that makes you holy and nothing else.

We talked about the philosophical difference between doing good IN ORDER to get to heaven and receive the approval of God, versus doing good BECAUSE of the grace of God in our lives. "Religion" misses this when it imposes all sorts of regulations and rules. Grace is, after all, the UNMERITED favor of God. It cannot be earned no matter what we do, otherwise we nullify the gift.

There are seven wonderful, liberating chapters in the Bible that you should study if you don't understand this and want to. Romans 4:1-5:11 and the six chapters of Galatians. These sections will explain why I am so strong on these points. God is strong on the gospel being free. If we could have earned grace in any way, then Christ died in vain. In other words, if "being good" and going to church on Sunday could save our souls from hell, then the cross of Calvary was a pretty dumb idea and a complete waste of time. Did you ever think about that? How can we possibly add to what He did for us?

No, Scripture is as plain as the voices of these children. We are saved by faith plus nothing, but those who rely on observances of laws and rituals are under a curse. Anyone who preaches any other message is also under condemnation (Gal 1:9). Oh, there is so much deception and confusion in the world, I pray that anyone reading this will understand the goodness of God. He is a God who provides a salvation that ALL OF US can afford. The total, finished work and promise of salvation is FREE, by faith alone.

Well, the temperature was dipping as the sun dropped lower in the sky. So, we said good-bye and from there I went to Honey Dew. The chill in the air made me thirsty for a hot cup of coffee. Inside, I met a retired Navy-Army guy who was watching the news and wanted to talk. A real good discussion emerged from the state of the world today to overseas living (he’d been in about 10 countries including Iraq and Kuwait leading convoys) and back to ‘spoiled America.’

Most people who have served lengthy military careers appreciate authority and structure, so it was easy to bridge over to the sovereignty of God who commands the planet. Mark showed a real respect and interest, and at one point he got real serious and said, “That’s exactly where I am right now.” I discovered yet another adventure, another life, as the Lord quietly nudged him to trust that He knows exactly what he’s doing. The Lord God is our able and ever-present Superior Officer and I'm so glad I know Him!

As I hopped back in the car, the sky was now painted with sunset bands of color. The joy welled up within me and I felt like hollering to the skies, Father! Father! Look what I found again today! You’re alive!

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