My Head Just May Explode

God is good, my friends.

I began this blog mostly as an outlet for me to write. As a pastor I get to stand in front of a small group of people on Sunday mornings and preach God's Word, and it's an awesome responsibility. But there are times when I have 3 or 4 sermons rolling around inside my head with no place to put them. So, I figured, a blog would be a good way to get this stuff out. I used to be the same way years ago when I worked in radio. I would have 4-6 hours per day on the air to talk about stuff, but if I would take any time off then that stuff would bottle up until I could get back in front of a working microphone again to release the brain pressure. So that feeling isn't new to me.

But there are also those times when I am running low on ideas, thoughts, or most anything else for that matter. Sometimes it lasts for a week or two, sometimes longer. I usually have enough prepared ahead of time so that Sunday morning is still well taken care of, but by Sunday evening my brain is emptied out. These periods of spiritual dryness are a part of life. I'd be surprised if anybody got through life without them. And those dry times caused me a bit of concern when I started this blog. I figured I'd run full steam for a couple of weeks, then start to run out of things to say -- kinda like after spending 15 years as husband and wife, all the cute little stories about our childhood have already been told. In short, I figured this would dry up.

Funny thing. It's working in the exact opposite way. God has filled my head to the point where the National Weather Service may have to issue a warning about the high pressure area betwixt my ears. I see God in everything. Don't take that to mean my theology is out of whack, but that the signs of the Creator are found in the everyday tasks, the smile of a child, the pages of Scripture, Internet images beaming from my monitor, and everyplace else. It's reassuring to know that when we are in true need, that God supplies the need. Sometimes in ways we don't expect. Sometimes in quantities we don't expect. God is filling the "input" slot at record pace, and it's phenominal to experience.

While cruising around the worldwide web, I stumbled across this story at Effortless Grace. In it, Tom tells about reaching the low point of his life after being betrayed by a co-worker costing him his job, then betrayed by his wife costing him his marriage. And at that point of meltdown wondering where God was in all this, the phone rang. It was an acquaintance who felt led to call, although he wasn't sure why. Tom knew why. It was God's reassurance. Read the full story. Tom tells it better than I do.

But the point remains. God provides when we need it. The advantage to being a Christian is not just what happens to us in the afterlife. Christ isn't simply "fire insurance". Sure, that's great, but there are advantages to being in Christ before death as well. And one such advantage is His presence. He sees you when you're sleeping and He knows when you're awake, but it's much more special. God sees to it that our needs are met -- even the deepest spiritual needs that we are too afraid to share with any other human being.

God is good, my friends. But if I don't get some more things written and some new projects underway, my head just may explode.