The Chart of Your Life

Imagine for a moment that your standing in front of a gigantic chart that tracks the movement of the stock market from almost the beginning of the last century. You see a series of peaks and valleys corresponding to various historic events. There is a serious down draft during the Depression. But look. After it bottoms out, the line goes up. Invariably goes up.

Notice the 1987 stock market crash. See that abrupt drop? I remember that one. The feeling that swept the nation was that the market would never, ever come back. But look. It did. Look at the new highs the U.S. stock market achieved in the 1990s.

The markets are a lot like life. Things happen. There are peaks and valleys. And there are events that send our lives plunging—sometimes to record depths. We think we will never, ever recover. But we do. Things get better.

So what does the chart of your life look like? Peaks? Valleys? Where are you now? If you are in a valley of unemployment and uncertainty with fog and darkness all around, grab on to this truth: This will not last forever. Things will change. For sure there are upswings and new peaks in your future. There are seasons of joy and prosperity ahead.

One day you will look at this chart of your life again, in another context, from another vantage point. You’ll be able to see the upturn that followed this difficult time. You recovered. You’ll look back and wonder how you ever made it through. But you did! I’m certain that you’ll say that as difficult as it was, you are grateful for all you learned, for all the ways your character was strengthened and for the ways this season of your life prepared you to handle what was, and is, to come.

Just hang onto that truth right now. Mark today’s date on your calendar. Write about it in your journal. And whatever you do, don’t give up. You may be in a valley right now, but an upturn is coming!

Pump up the Volume

What do you do when God is loud?  When I first began my Christian walk I was blown away by how loud God was, how clearly I felt lead.  Had he always been this loud and was I just not listening?  Or when I turned my life over to him, did the volume go up?  There was a movie from 1990 staring an early Christian Slater called Pump up the Volume.  How this movie relates to a Christian walk is beyond me (and much of the content is probably not appropriate), but I love the premise.  It's basically about a teen with a pirate radio station who creates a cult following as he delivers  social commentary about the state of teenage life.   He coins the phrase Talk Hard meaning talk real...talk about what's going on, what's real, what hurts, what matters.  Talk Hard.  I think this is what God wants from us.  Pray Hard.  Pray about what's real, what hurts, what matters.  Then listen.  Sometimes you have to listen hard.  There doesn't seem to be a lot of shaking and moving.  Life is going along...sort of status quo.   You may be asking.  You may be in wait.  But life is good and all is quiet.

Then it gets loud....

One of my prayers everyday is for God to use me for his will.  Show me what and where Lord and I'll go (or stay). Each day I find opportunities before me...mostly little ones, but none the less, opportunities that I can respond to Gods calling. People, places, things. So life is good.  My plate is full.  Some say very full.  And in the midst, a shift ... and God gets loud.  He has pumped up the volume.  He is calling.  A new path is before us.

Time to pray hard ...  pray that we be used well, for His will, for His glory, in His timing, for His people. Faith is having enough trust in God to follow him even when it doesn't make sense, you don't know where it's going or your plate is already full and he's calling anyway.  On Belay.