Filed under: 29466
Sometimes it’s, well, the Spokane Airport, Terminal C. That’s not to say anything negative about this particular airport – after not so long they all begin to look the same. But just to say, as “glamorous” as my life of flying all over sharing Jesus (& enjoying the occasional giraffe!) may appear to some onlookers, just like anything else, “it ain’t so pretty all the time.”
To be a bit too honest, I’ve been doing this since 1993 (who’d of ever imagined?), and I couldn’t begin to recount the times I’ve sat staring at this same “view,” overwhelmed by fatigue, every joint in my body aching from the wear & tear of too many airplanes, too many strange beds, & too much restaurant food.
That’s not to mention the alone-ness that can often swarm a tired heart. It is a bizarre twist, to enjoy times of ministry like today, surrounded by precious folks, sharing the most precious truths of all, & seeing lives changed. Then, the service over, they come & share their stories – breathtaking testimonies of God’s great workings…
Then suddenly – alone. Sitting in an airport. Exhausted. Four hours of flying, a shuttle to your car, the 405 freeway, and the silence of home.
My life is a grand adventure, no doubt about it. I am as privileged as anyone can be. God has blessed me so far beyond anything I could have ever imagined… But there is surely a cost – & as it should be, because there’s always a cost to what is precious & of great value.
On Tuesday I spoke to a class of Bible School students. There was a comment made to the teacher before I spoke, “I’m not so sure I want to go into ministry – it sounds so hard.”
My goodness, of course it’s hard! What on earth ever gave anyone the impression it wasn’t? I mean, there’s Jesus hanging on a tree for all of us to see – the living model of ministry – a living, literal, complete & total sacrifice of everything of self & then some! Glory to his wondrous name!
And you know, in those times when the sacrifice seems so much, all I need do is think of him and it’s instantly, “Dear Lord, forgive me.”
For me, one of the most tell-tale stories in all the gospels is in John, in my memory its the end of chapter 7, beginning of 8. It’s the close of a long day of speaking in the temple courts, Jesus has been attacked, laughed at, heckled… & more than anything, poured himself out in every way. You can only imagine his exhaustion – of heart.
As the story goes, the day at an end, John writes, “Everyone went to their homes – but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.” Oh, how one can only imagine the tears he must have cried at the feet of his Father that night – so spent, so fatigued, so alone – on the Mount of Olives…
The Lord is good, there just are no two ways about it. And there just is no greater thing a guy can do than share Jesus. I mean, just a few hours ago, before my very eyes, I saw twenty or so souls pass from darkness into eternal light, coming to Jesus.
One was a little boy of about ten. There was a man & wife, a father & son. There was a middle-aged woman sitting all by herself in the shadows of the back row… all coming to Jesus.
What can I say about that? As wonderful as it is to stand five feet from a giraffe in the African bush, it just can’t compare to seeing a life reborn in Jesus. And if that privilege means a few aches and pains, tired emotions here and there, long drives home in silence and long flights next to business guys elbowing me with their laptops… it’s a remarkably small price to pay, to be sure.
You know, Terminal C doesn’t look so bad after all. And this airport bagel I’m chewing on tastes almost like the bagels I buy from my local bakery.
And that hotel last night was a blessing, so quiet & comfortable. And what a blessing to come to this land of forested hills & winding waterways, especially in this season when the fall colors are exploding across the hills in expansive swaths of red, orange & yellow.
Yeah, this airport doesn’t look so bad after all… people gave their lives to Jesus! Glory to Jesus!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
