Round Three -- Knock Out Punch

There are lots of times in life when it looks like evil wins, when bad people triumph, when dishonesty, lying and cheating have the upper hand.  That's frustrating!  These last hours of Jesus' life also look like evil wins.  That's why a bigger perspective on life is important.
     Imagine a boxing match.  Round one was Jesus' ministry.  Evil was being driven back, good was winning, people were being healed, and lives were being changed for the better.  Life was winning over death... light over darkness.  Round two is at the cross and now it looks like evil is back with a vengeance and is winning big-time.  It appears that death is going to have the final say.
     There is still round three to come.  That's the story of Easter, of the bible, of Revelation, of Life... when it looks dark, like a cancer diagnosis, a marital breakup, a job loss or no job to be found, then there's still round three.  In round three there's a knock-out punch to death.  In round three life wins over death.  In round three there is HOPE!
    That's the journey of faith, knowing that in following Jesus there is always a round three.  It doesn't make the second round go away or get all warm and fuzzy.  It does give us hope to work our way through the dark times, the struggles, the moments when we feel hopeless.  It gives us a confidence to share that hope with a friend on the journey. 
     I don't know what round you are in.  I can speak with confidence that round three will come.  There is Hope!  Where are you.  Comment and ask for someone to remind you of hope, listen to your pain, or walk with you/pray with you through round two.  I'll look forward to hearing from you.  

Phones, Calendars and Staying Focused

    Within two week's time my laptop, netbook and smartphone all died!  And in one of the busiest times of my year.  Yikes!
     Through the momentary panic, the priority searching and the frustrating reconfiguration, I was reading and telling and the story about Jesus' suffering as a part of the bigger picture.  The bigger picture being God's willingness to take on the human condition, live, struggle and die so that I might actually understand how much God loves me.  Now there's an interesting juxtaposition!
     I had to stop and think about what's important.  I had to refocus priorities.  I had to reallocate resources.  All of this to get life back together.  Then I noticed... Jesus chose what was important, focused on priorities and reallocated all his strength, just to say, "I love you."
   My phone list and my web favorites aren't the most important thing to me.  The most important thing is the relationships and friendship web they represent to me.  My tech-tastrophy became a learning journey about God's love.   The invitation of the moment was as much, if not more, to value the relationships and people God values, as it was, to recover the data that goes with those relationships.
    How about you?  Is love in your smartphone?  Is care a part of your data base?  Are love and caring held captive or set free by the tools you use? 
    My prayer for myself and you is that love stays more important than all the other stuff of life.  And while I'm working on that, I'm going to keep on following the Master of Love, and learn.  And you?  What will you do?