Not According to Plan

Today did not go the way I expected it to. I thought my day would be spent writing very effectively and efficiently in the morning and shooting a video in the afternoon. In the plan I had in my mind, everything would be executed perfectly. It didn't happen.

As I wrote, the words came as easily as punching a hole through a brick wall. It was as if I couldn't put a single coherent thought together. The day progressed and problems presented themselves one after the other, completely distracting me from the plan I had so diligently made this morning. Nothing was working the way I had expected, and by the time I got home tonight I felt like a flaming ball of frustration. My day felt like a complete waste.

Then I remembered something I read first thing this morning:

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.
Proverbs 16:9

I read it again this evening as I sat in my bedroom trying to decompress, and I realized this - my day didn't go as I had planned it, but it went exactly the way God wanted it to. This was very freeing for me. So what if everything I wrote was worthless. So what if I don't feel like I accomplished all that I felt I needed to. God determined my steps today, and that's exactly where I want to be.

Froginson Crusoe

It happened again. We went to McDonalds for a Labor Day lunch. After we ate we walked out to the car where I beheld a sight that I thought I would never see again. There was a tree frog sitting on the windshield of the car next to mine. Did you get that? THERE WAS A TREE FROG SITTING ON A CAR! Again!!

To catch up on why this is so remarkable, click here for one of my prior blog posts.

I can't say that I have ever won anything big in my life. I never win drawings or raffles of any kind. I have no first place trophies on my walls. Most people know me by the quiet and fairly average life that I lead. But for some reason, God has chosen me to be the guy who keeps finding tree frogs on cars in random, non-forest related places. What am I supposed to takeaway from all of this? Please, if you read this blog, post a response if you have an idea. Any idea works! Maybe I'm supposed to be a herpetologist. Maybe I'm wrong and these guys live all over Missouri. Someone, please just help me!

Here's the actual picture...

You Might Be Lazy If...

We have all heard of Jeff Foxworthy. You know - you might be a redneck if… Well, according to the book of Proverbs, you might be lazy if…

You hate work.

Proverbs 21:25 - Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.

You love sleep.

Proverbs 26:24 - As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed.

This one is a no brainer. Loving sleep does not necessarily make you a lazy person, but – come on people, where there’s smoke there’s fire.

You are full of excuses.

Proverbs 26:13 - The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!”

Ever know someone who always had an excuse? I can’t mow because of my allergies. I can’t get a job because I have to focus on my schoolwork. I can't keep a job because my bosses are all jerks. I am getting bad grades because my teacher hates me. I can’t come to church on Sunday because I have to babysit at 3pm and I need to be emotionally ready for it. One word comes to mind when I think about people who have an excuse for everything – yuck. And if you are that person, let me tell you this...I love you, but you aren’t fooling anybody!

You think you got it all figured out.

Proverbs 26:16 - Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors.

And the attitude component of laziness comes out. It is not just a matter of not having the energy or desire to do things. There is an element of pride to laziness. It sounds something like this: I don’t need to put my dirty dishes in the sink. That’s what moms are for. Yes, my room is a disgusting mess but that’s only because I don’t need to waste my time on the small things in life when I am destined for so much greater things. I am special enough that I don’t need to work for anything. You guys should all be taking care of me! I don't really need to work hard because I just know better.

Did you check off one or more of those boxes? If you did, you might be lazy. Here's the antidote in one sentence:

Colossians 3:23-24 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord, not for people.

How to Not Be Stupid

Here's a good question to ponder: If there was a book titled How to Not Be Stupid, would it be a best seller? Or would the people who needed to read it be too thick to realize it? How about this question: If you are stupid, how do you know it? Is there a test you can take? I'm sure that everyone reading this right now is absolutely positive that they are not stupid, but could easily diagnose someone who is. But if nobody thinks they are stupid, who sets the stupid standard? Who makes the little amusement park sign that says, "You must be at least this wise to ride"? Should we judge by grades, test scores, bank account balance or coherence of speech?

I ask this because at The Creek we are looking at the book of Proverbs this month in a series called Fortune Cookie Faith. The book of Proverbs is thirty one chapters made up of one to two sentence sayings - not unlike the ones that come inside the fortune cookie that arrives at the end of your Chinese meal. Imagine that God ran a Chinese restaurant and wrote all the cookie fortunes. If you ate there daily, kept all of the cookie fortunes you received and compiled them all into a book, it would look a lot like the book of Proverbs.

I think Proverbs could aptly be subtitled How To Not Be Stupid because the whole purpose of the book is summed up in Proverbs 1:5 - Let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. And let those who understand receive guidance. God sets the stupid standard, and he is very invested in us living wise lives. He wants to equip us to make the right choices that will both protect us and prosper us. So he gave us Proverbs.

This month, The Creek will be reading through the book of Proverbs one chapter a day. It's not complicated. There are thirty one chapters, so we are reading the chapter that corresponds with the date. On 9/6 we will read Proverbs 6. Our goal - to not be stupid. Will you join us in our quest?

Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. Proverbs 2:2-11