My Name is Daniel

Without contrast, there is no definition.  The words on this page are visible because they are black and the paper is white.  If both were white, or both were black, then the words would not actually be here. 

All things have an opposite.  Life and death, high and low, light and dark, young and old, bitter and sweet, male and female, hot and cold, good and evil, the list goes on.  If it were not for their differences – neither would exist.  You see, these things are defined mostly by the fact that they are not the other.  What is hot if there is no cold?  If all were one temperature, we would have no use for such concepts.  What is high without low?  What is light without dark?  What is pleasure without pain?  In fact, the more contrast there is – the more precise the definition of both becomes. 

This concept of contrast helps us understand God.  God and man are opposites.  Everything that He is, I am not.  Yet, it’s not that simple – which is the best part!

You see, though we are opposites, God himself has reconciled us and brought us to Himself.  I am low and He is high, but when I humble myself before Him – He lifts me up.  He is good and I am not, but He imparts His goodness onto me.  He is wise and I am foolish, yet He lends me His wisdom if I ask for it.  I am weak and He is strong, but the weaker I am, the more strength He gives me.

Contrast also defines my relationship with Him.  I had to be lost before I could be found.  I had to be doomed before I could be saved.  I must be ready to give up all things before I can receive everything.  I must die to myself so that I can truly live!

Thank you Lord for showing me who You are by making me what you are not!

Suffering in this life is a guarantee.  There are many different levels of suffering, and many different kinds, but one certainty is that all of us will experience suffering at different times in our lives.  Some pain we are generally willing to accept and live with, like sore muscles after a work out or a head ache.  Other pain we are less willing to take smiling, like heartache from a breakup or the pain of injury or disease.  And there are yet other pains that are so great that we can hardly handle them, like the pain of losing a child or loved one.  It is in the midst of this kind of pain that we find ourselves asking “Why?”.  It is in these most desperate of times that, believer in God or not, we look to the sky for an answer, for some rhyme or reason for this all encompasing suffering that we find ourselves in.  Sometimes it’s not even personal.  Sometimes all it takes is to watch the news to see suffering and pain on a massive scale world wide.  People slaughtering each other, rape and child molestation, diseases galore, and starvation on a global scale move our hearts and again we look to the sky and ask “Why?”  If God is a god of love, how could he let this happen? 

This is a questinon that touches all of us at one time or another in our lives, whether on a personal level or from the mere observation of the world around us.  There have been many attempts to answer this question.  Some I have read have been very good, while others have not been so convincing.  From these sources and of course THE source, the Bible, I have my own answer to this question. 

Perspective

If you believe that this life here on earth is all there is, that when a person dies that it is all over for them, then suffering in this world does not make sense.  Some people live their entire life in a state of perpetual suffering because of no fault of their own.  If that is the end of their story, then their life does not make any sense.  The same is true of early death.  If death is the end, then a child’s death is incomprehensible.  How can there be a reason for that?

However, if you believe in life after death, and more specifically eternity after death, then suffering should lose some of its sting.  In fact, it might even make sense or possibly even be necessary for such “trajedies” to exist.  If this life is but a speck in the timeline of forever, then whatever suffering that occurs here will be so small in relation that there may even come a time when it is forgotten.  The fact is that no matter how great the pain, it is temporary.  No matter if it lasts an entire lifetime, it is still has an ending.

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:18: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”  Once again we see that our suffering is temporary, and in fact when looked at in comparison to our future glory…it’s not even worth comparing.  You see we have a future to look forward to.  This life is not all there is

Reason

Temporary pain still hurts, but it hurts a little less when the reason for it is known.  Many people will intentionally submit themselves to short term pain for long term gain.  An athlete will endure hours of painful exercise in order to become the best they can be in their chosen sport.  A mother will endure several hours of intense pain in order to feel the joy of a new born baby.  Many people endure years of difficult schooling because of the reward of knowledge and possibly a good job.  A country will endure years of war to bring about a greater peace.  These self inflicted pains are bearable because we know the reason.  We know the outcome.

Sometimes the reason for pain is our own fault.  Suffering brought on by our own mistakes can also be somewhat easier to bear because we know the reason why.  But, when the reason is unknown, it is much more difficult to endure.  Car accidents, birth defects, deseases, and senseless violence can ruin those effected because there are generally no answers to be had.  These seemingly random events that bring about pain and death are the real source of the big question.  For those things that we endure on purpose, and even those things that we bring upon ourselves, we do not ask God why because we already know.  But, when the cause of pain is beyond our control, it can be unbearable.  Sometimes, the not knowing why is the most painful thing about it.

Why

I believe that there is a reason for everything that happens.  The good and the bad.  I believe that alot of the suffering that happens is a result of our own imperfections and sin, but most of the time the reason is not very obvious or clearly defined.  I also believe that regardless of the direct cause of the suffering, there is an ultimate reason for why God allows it to continue.  Notice I did not say a reason for why God caused it, but a reason for why God allows it to continue.  I believe that all suffering is in some way caused by sin.  If man had never rejected God, there would be no suffering.  However, it is not as simple as “you sinned, so you suffer”.  It is far more complex and dynamic than that.  Sin is the poison in the batter.  One little drop ruins the whole batch.  But God is able to and does make use of every one of our self inflicted disasters to make us better than we ever would have been without them.

Purpose

but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perserverence; perserverence, character; and character, hope.                                                                    Romans 5:3-4 

Suffering has a purpose.  This is not the same thing as a cause.  A purpose is future leaning, a cause is about the past.  The cause of our suffering is less important than the purpose.  It is more important what you do with your suffering than why it happened.  Suffering makes you better.  Just as hours of painful exercise causes the growth of muscles and better performance, and the pain of childbirth brings about the joy of parenthood, so too does this life’s suffering have the potential to bring about much greater things than you would have without it.  The reward may not be in this lifetime, but that is ok when you look at it through the lens of eternity.

The purpose of your suffering does not always have anything to do with you.  Look at the blind man in John chapter 9.  Jesus and the desciples encounter a man who had been blind from birth (so probably at least 30 years), and the disciples asked Jesus “who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind.”  and Jesus answered, “Neither…but this happened that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”  You see, this man’s suffering, his blindness his whole life was not for his benefit directly, but for the whole world.   He was blind so that Jesus could heal him and prove that he was God.  Likewise, your suffering may have nothing to do with you.  Perhaps, since you are saved and came to Christ already, you have been put through an ordeal like a child dying so that some day ten years from now you will help someone else going through the same thing and because you truly know how they feel.  And from that relationship, you are able to lead them to Christ.  Does that make it worth it?  I believe it does, but that won’t make you feel better right now.

Coping

To say these things and to know them do not take away from the realness of the suffering.  Pain is real, it hurts and yes it matters.  I will not tell the mother of a child that has died that her pain is not real.  It is, and deep, and there is no easy way out of it.  This is where the question comes from.  We are able to cope with pain brought on by ourselves, by mistake or on purpose, because we know the reason and maybe we can see the positive outcome.  But what positive outcome can come from the seemingly senseless death of a loved one?  What greater purpose can I give you so that you will feel better?  I don’t know, but I know someone who does.  His name is Jesus.

Jesus suffered more than any person ever has or ever will.  To this you may say that his physical death was surely not the most painful that exists.  Surely burning to death or being eaten alive, or maybe radiation poisening from a nuclear bomb would actually be worse, but that’s not all he endured.  You see Jesus was God.  He and the Father are one, and they had never been seperated.  I know the trinity is hard to understand, but it is real, and Jesus (God the son) and God the Father are seperate persons but still one God, so it is possible for the persons to be separated.  This was the pain that Jesus endured.  Jesus, being God, was perfect and blameless yet he took upon himself all of our sin.  Sin is what has caused all of our human pain for centuries, and he took all of that pain upon himself…willingly.  Imagine your worst pain, and then multiply it by the number of people who have ever lived.  Then he paid the price.  He was separated from God the Father as punishment for our sins.  Jesus has experienced the ultimate of pain and suffering, and on a scale much larger than you or I could imagine.  So, he knows what you are going through.  He has literally felt your unique and specific pain because he took it on himself on the Cross. 

Knowing that Jesus suffered like that is not enough though.  What does that do for me?  Just because I know that someone else has felt this way doesn’t make me feel any better.  So what’s the use?  I will tell you.

In John chapter 16, Jesus is nearing the end of his mission on earth and is telling his disciples about the future.  He tells them first about how in a little while he will be leaving them, but then will come back.  When they are confused, he goes on to tell them about how they “will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.  You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has bain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.  So with you: now is your time for grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice” (v 20-22).  He is telling them that hurt is coming, but it is not the end.  Then later in the conversation, he says one of the most beautiful things in the whole Bible:

v 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”

Did you see that, he tells us plainly: In this world you will have trouble – I know it, I have seen it and felt it.  It is unavoidable; it is necessary.  He says he tells us this so that we can have peace in Him…why?  Because He has overcome the world!  The battle is won!  All we have to do is trust him.  He will not abandon us.  Just as he told Joshua “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Josh 1:5), he tells us the same thing.  “Surely I am with you always, even unto the end of the age” (Matt 28:20).  He has seen the other side and knows where this is going, and it’s good.

He never promises to keep us out of trouble.  He doesn’t promise to heal us immediately or protect us from pain, but he does promise that he will be with us every step of the way.  He didn’t stop Daniel from being thrown into the lion’s den, but He was in there with him.  He didn’t stop Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from getting thrown into the fiery furnace, but He was in there with them.  He will never leave me, never forsake me.  He will always be with me and he has shared my pain. 

And this pain has a purpose.  It is making me better, no matter how much it hurts.  Peter says “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10)  How awesome is that!  My suffering is not for naught!  It is to refine me, to purify me, as David says “For you God tested us; you refined us like silver.” (Psalm 66:10).  God has a purpose in me.  I am not just a lump of clay, not just the result of random chance.  I have been fearfully and wonderfully made, then placed in the middle of the battle field.  He has great plans for me that stretch beyond this life and into something I can’t even imagine, but he has to test me first.  He has to know that he can count on me, that I trust him. 

Isn’t that what we see in our heros?  Do we watch movies about people who had it easy?  Or do we idolize those who struggled and won, who perservered,  who endured?  Isn’t that what we are most proud of in our lives?  Isn’t that what we look back on and talk about the most are our victories?  What is a victory without a battle?  What is a battle without pain?

Contrast

Our world is defined by contrast.  What is light without dark?  What is hot without cold?  What is pleasure without pain?  What is forgiveness without sin?  Jesus demonstrated this kind of contrast with the woman who washed his feet in Luke chapter 7.  The pharisees were questioning him about associating with “sinners”, and he gave them a quiz.  Two people owed money, one more than the other.  When payment time came, they were both forgiven their debts.  Who was more thankful?  They answered the one who owed more, and they were right.  We who have been forgiven much will love much, and we who have suffered much for his sake will be rewarded much.

In the early days after Christ had risen, the apostles were arrested for preaching the gospel and then they were beaten.  Afterward they were “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” (Acts 5:41).  It is an honor to suffer for Christ, though we do not always see our suffering as “for Christ”.  Though your suffering may not be a direct result of you preaching the gospel doesn’t mean that it is not for Christ.  You can make it for Him.  If you are a Christian, you can be sure that the Devil is out to get you.  Your pain is not random.  He is a “roaring lion looking for someone to devour” and he will stop at nothing to ruin you. Your circumstances may seem to be far from a holy battle, but that doesn’t mean God can’t use your experience to help others.

 ”And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28).  This does not mean that ALL things end up in good, but that God works for the good for those who love him. God is good, and he has a plan for you.  It may not be your plan, it is better.  We must learn to trust him.  He is here, right in the middle of the pain.  If he took it away, what would be gained?

Conclusion

Don’t give up.  Don’t throw in the towel and call it quits.  What great joy awaits you on the other side of this valley.  The Apostle Paul in one of his last letters tells Timothy “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the riteous judge, will award to me on that day” (II Tim 4:7-8)  You see, he had fought a fight – suffering – he had run a race – suffering – and he had kept the faith.  He didn’t give in the many times he was beaten and left for dead, or during the years he spent in prison, or when he was ship wrecked.  He had seen suffering and knew that a crown waited for him.  The same is true for you and me.  In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! Jesus has overcome the world!

Teamwork is when a group of individuals work together to accomplish a common goal.  I believe that there are different types of teamwork, that it is not one-size-fits-all.  The most obvious and probably commonly understood place where teamwork is expected would be in sports.

Baseball

Baseball is a team sport.  Although the offensive side, batting, is purely individual, it would be rather difficult on the defensive side to man the field with only one person.  On defense, nine players take up position in nine specifically designated places on the field.  Each player has a very specific role and area of responsibility.  In fact they each have a specific area of the field where they are supposed to stay.  In a good team, each player is individually talented and skilled at performing their specific task.  Generally speaking, someone who is good at pitching will not necessarily be good at playing third base, and vice versa.   Likewise, it is not wise for any one player to intrude on another player’s area of responsibility.  If the shortstop decided that he should do the left fielder’s job, then it would leave a big gap in the infield and likely cause confusion when the ball was hit to left field.  So, in baseball, good teamwork is every player sticking to their own role and not straying too far.

Soccer/Hockey/Basketball

The teamwork in these three sports I find to be quite similar.  In all three, and just like baseball and football, the players on these teams play specific positions and have specific skills and talents that make them good at their position.  But, unlike baseball and football, the lines between positions is often times quite blurred or even non-existant.  In football, there is only a few players who are designated to carry the ball, but in these sports, all players have almost equal chance of touching the ball or puck at any given time.  Also, unlike baseball, the area of responsibility for any player is generally the whole field or court.  Sure, they generally stick to a designated area, but at any time it is expected that any player who is in position to get the ball or puck should do so.  It is not uncommon to see a defenseman in soccer playing well past the half line, and in basketball the players move around so much that it’s sometimes hard to tell who is a point guard and who is a forward.  In any game, all players are offense and all the same players are defense.  There is no such thing as “that’s not my position” in these sports, except maybe for the goalies.  They all have a common goal, and they all do whatever is necessary in their own power to accomplish that goal.

Football

Football is also a team sport.  On either offense or defense there are 11 men on the field for each team.  Like baseball, football also has several specifically designated positions that require individual talent and skill, but unlike baseball, it is not a bad thing for one player to “intrude” on another player’s area of responsibility.  In fact, at times, it is quite necessary.  In any given play, all defensive players must be ready to make a tackle if the ball carrier comes their way, and likewise all offensive players must be ready to make a block if they are in position to do so.  If a wide receiver said to the running back, “Hey, I’m a receiver..my job is to catch the ball, not block for you.”, he probably wouldn’t be on the field much longer.  Heck, even punters and field goal kickers have to play running back and/or defense every now and then.  So, good teamwork in football looks both like baseball and like those other sports in that each player does have a very specific role, but at the same time may be called upon to act outside of their box and do what is necessary to win the game.

So, what’s the point?

I believe that all three of these examples are true teamwork, but obviously it takes different forms depending on what the goal is.  This works the same in other arenas.  In the work place, sometimes you need everyone to stick to their designated roles and not venture into other areas, but other times you need everyone step out of their box and just do what is necessary to get the job done.  I’ve seen this personally from working on a submarine.  During normal operations, each person has a specific role.  Since each person has specific skills that maybe the other do not, this works best and the ship runs smoothly.  However, at times, such as during a fire or other kind of casualty, rank and job title mean nothing as everyone is trained with the same knowledge.  At those times, it is amazing to see how everyone simply does what is in their power to do, wherever they happen to be when the casualty strikes.  There is no complaining about anything being “not my job”, because we all want to get out of this alive.

Personally, I like the football version of teamwork.  Yes, we are all specialized, but we also all have the same goal and I would expect anyone on my team to be willing to do whatever it takes to win, even if it’s not in their job description.

Have you ever gone canooing or inner-tubing down a river?  Isn’t there always some rock cliff that people like to jump off of?  Have you ever done it?  I have.

No one ever climbs the cliff planning on deciding whether to jump or not once they get to the top.  No, they know that really the only way down is to jump, so climbing up the hill means that the decision has already been made.  You are going to jump.  But then what happens? 

You walk out to the edge of where you will be jumping and look down.  Your heart races and you can feel the fear creeping in.  You know it will be exilerating and you will probably live through it, but it can still take a pretty long time to get up that courage to just jump off.  I know I must have stood there for fifteen minutes trying to get up the gumption to go, but when I finally did, it was awesome!!

I think this happens in life decisions as well.  How many times have you wrestled with a decision only to realize that you had already decided and what you were really wrestling with was trying to get the nerve to actually go for it?  Talk about the story of my life.

I don’t want a job, I want a mission.  A job is something you do because you get paid.  Personal investment is generally not required, and sometimes not even desired.  A job is a place you work AT, a means to an end.  A job is something I wouldn’t do if I wasn’t getting paid.  I don’t want a job.

I want a mission, a calling, a purpose.  A mission is something that I just CAN’T HELP but do.  Something that doesn’t even feel like work and that I would pay YOU to let me do it.  It is part of who I am, not just something I do.  It is synonymous with my identity.  With a mission, there is no line between work and play.

I believe I know my mission now.  I’ve spent my whole life working jobs, even jobs that should not be considered jobs.  But no more.  Money is not a concern, I must meet my calling.  A wealthy life doing something I hate is not worth it.  Better to be poor and complete than rich and hollow.

I have to wait a little while longer to be free of the time clock, but on that day, oh glorious day, I will finally be free.

I am a Christian.  This will likely turn off some that read this because you will likely assume that I am closed minded, hypocritical, and judgmental.  You are probably correct to a degree as I am far from perfect…but I am trying.

As a Christian, and believer in God, creator of the universe, it baffles me how so many people can truly believe that we as human beings are simply the end result of some eons of time causing chaos to turn into intricate order.  We  feel, here in the early 21st century, that we have made it.  That we have reached the “true” answers to questions that have been around for…ever.  Why are we so arrogant?

Looking back over our history, let’s say the last 1000 years, how many things of “science” have we discovered that our predecessors got wrong?  Our scientific advances have proven such things wrong as the idea that the earth is flat, that flight much less space travel is impossible, that atoms are made up of tiny little balls, and that blood-letting is best for what ails you.  This list is very long.

Yet, all of those people in the past also considered themselves to be modern, to be advanced in science and certain of their conclusions.  Why then, are we today so arrogant as to think that this time we REALLY have it right?  How do we not think that given another 200 or 500 years that many of our scientific theories will be proven wrong?  I’d say it is pretty likely that we are wrong about alot more than we will ever know.

So, we take this false presumption and declare that there is no God.  We have figured it all out, and besides, if there really was a loving God, how could he allow such suffering in the world?  I believe that we ask this question because there is so much we don’t know but think we do.  Much like a teenager.

If you are above the age of about 23 or so, you probably remember the time when you were finally able to look back on your teenage years and realize just how much you really didn’t know.  I certainly do.  I remember being a teenager, and suddenly waking up one morning and I knew everything.  I didn’t need to go around the block because I just knew what was on the other side, and obviously my parents did not.  All of my friends of course agreed with me because they were in the same adolescent state.  We were kings of the world, invincible, and knew everything.  It was so frustrating being so darn smart and aware when my parents would put limitations on me.   Why do they hate me?  Why do they make me get a job and pay for my own car when they could just do it for me?  Why won’t they let me stay out all night and why do they always want to know where I am?  Why do they ground me for stupid things?  Why is it that everything I want to do, they tell me I shouldn’t or can’t?  I want to have sex!  It sounds fun and exciting, but they keep telling me I shouldn’t..why are they so mean to me.  They keep telling me I shouldn’t get into drugs like all my friends and that I should try hard in school.  Why do they have these ridiculous demands of me?

Sound familiar?  Do you remember those days?  What about now?  Can’t you now look back and see that all those mean things your parents did were actually for your own benefit.  In fact, those teenagers and kids whose parents DID give them everything they wanted generally don’t end up well.  It seems so obvious once you’re on the other side, but truly impossible to see when you’re still in the bubble.

The problem is that, although we have all popped the bubble of adolescence….we are still in the bubble of limited human perception.  You see, this life is not all there is.  In fact, it is only preparation for another longer and better life.  We are here to learn, and to grow.  These things only happen through pain.  And all those rules, they are for our benefit.  They keep us safe.  You see, we have a father in heaven who can seen the other side.  He knows what is best for us even though we think he is wrong.  God allows suffering because he sees the bigger picture and knows that the good that comes from the suffering is worth it, even if it doesn’t come in this lifetime, just like your parents saw the bigger picture of your life when you couldn’t and allowed you to “suffer” in order to teach you valuable lessons that I’m sure you are grateful for today.

So, next time you think God is just being mean, remember that you are in a bubble and cannot see what he sees.  That is why we have to trust him.

In school you are taught to study for the sake of taking some kind of exam.  These exams are finite and have clearly defined questions with clearly defined answers.  If you memorize the answer or learn how to do the problem correctly, then you will be able to pass.

Life is similar in that there are questions to be answered, but in real life there are no clearly defined answers, and often times the question itself is hard to figure out.  There’s no answer key that you you can cheat off of, and when you try an answer and it is wrong, the consequences are more than a red mark on a piece of paper.

So what’s the moral of this story?  Be careful how you answer…

Have you ever worked really really hard at creating something?  A painting? Sculpture? Drawing? Website?  Only to find that people don’t really like it that much?  Then when you feel a little depressed about it, someone says “Don’t take it personal. It’s not YOU they don’t like, it’s the {fill in the blank}”.  Well, I don’t find this statement helpful at all.  Yes, I understand that it’s not me as a person they are disliking, but that thing I just put my heart and soul into is definately somewhat of a representation of me, so it makes sense that it feels personal when someone doesn’t like it. 

So, fully understanding that it’s not actually personal, I still reserve the right to be bummed when someone doesn’t like my art.  So there!

It seems that many people, myself included sometimes, live in the world of “should” instead of the world of “is”.

“My boyfriend should just know (fill in the blank).”  How many times have we seen this?  The reality is that boyfriend can’t know what you don’t tell him, and you will simply continue to be frustrated and annoyed at his ignorance until you tell him what you are actually thinking…it’s called communication.  (This happens and works both ways)

“If the users can’t figure out how use my interface, they should read the directions”.  In reality, the only people who read user interface directions are the people that write them.  I need to learn to create them in a way that does not require reading directions, otherwise my would-be customers simply won’t use my product.

“You should just know me”  This one is really frustrating to deal with.  I’ve known at least two people in my life who thought that people should judge them not by how they acted, but by how they know they are on the inside…doesn’t work.   I can only know you by what’s on the outside.

The world of “should” is nice because you can make it whatever you want, but until you decide to live in the world of “is”, you will constantly be frustrated by that pesky thing called reality.