Afterwards...

Peaks and valleys. The euphoria of a long-anticipated event, and the crash. I know there's a biochemical aspect to it, part of how God has made us. Knowing helps. But it still kinda stinks. I call it a "camp" adrenaline rush.

So many times it happens. From my teen days, youth camps where I felt so close to God, and then the emotional crash when coming back to the real world. Young Life camp, where I would get really close to a bunch of people, and then it was over. Working on plays, where I was with a cast every single day for two months - and then the last curtain dropped. Mission trips - it's hard to describe the empty feeling in my gut when I part ways with friends I have been with 24/7 for a week or more.

And Christmas.

We do so much to build up to this extravagant holiday. A lot of it is hype, alot of it is ridiculous commercialization - no question about that. But that's not the part that gets me. There is something about traditions with family and friends, as well as the church rituals, that work together to produce the "camp adrenaline rush" in me. And so then there's the crash. I went to a movie yesterday after we finished our family Christmas dinner, and that postponed it. But there it was last night, just like most every Christmas, trip, and big event. Just a mild case of the blahs: Ughhh, it's all over. And here I sit.

And that's another reason I am thankful for Jesus. He came to give us joy and peace - joy and peace that's deeper than the fluctuations of our emotions. When I'm in my sweet spot, serving with friends in Ethiopia or gathered with my family around the Christmas tree, he provides joy deeper than the rush. And when I'm sitting at home after it's all over, wondering why I can't shake a blah feeling, he provides joy stronger than the crash.

He entered history 2,000 years ago, and showed us how to live through the ups and downs. He has been through everything we have, and is there to stand with us. Whether it's some temporary case of the blahs, or dealing with real hurt and sorrow - as I know some of you are - he's there. And he understands.

Hallelujah, what a Savior! So Donnie,

Rejoice! rejoice!
Emmanuel
Has come to thee, O Israel.

What's beautiful about America

Super Bowl commercials. We love to watch them, talk about them, and even complain about them. There was one from Coca Cola last night that became all the buzz on Twitter. This one:



As soon as it aired, Twitter exploded with comments. Most of the comments were about how America the Beautiful should be sung in English because it's an American song. If you live here, you should speak our language. That's what a country is.

Somehow, it seems many were seeing the ad as a concession to illegal immigration. By acknowledging the variety of cultures here and showcasing that by singing in multiple languages, we were opening our borders to all comers.

Well, I would bring this into the conversation: If we could completely close our borders and kick every illegal immigrant out, leaving nothing but citizens and legal immigrants working toward citizenship, our country would still be just as diverse. It would be full of people from all backgrounds and countries all over the world. Many, many of us have great grandparents who came over the sea without speaking a lick of English. We're English, Irish, Italian, French, Chinese, etc., etc., etc. Because they came, we are here. What makes our country great is freedom, and that freedom is something that people from all over the world have been flocking to for the last 250 years.

And it is true, whether depicted in an advertisement or not.

So what does it mean that our country is full of such diversity? As a follower of Jesus, I have been called to take the  gospel into all the world. The kingdom of God is greater than any other kingdom, and all the others, including ours, will pass away. How awesome it is to live in a place where you can share the good news of Jesus with so many cultures without even having to get a passport! Go into all the world? Heck, just go to the other side of town. Because while the early believers in Jerusalem had to go to the world, the world has come to us.

And that is just one of the things that makes America beautiful.

Which reminds me of another Coke ad, from my childhood:



All sorts of people, from all backgrounds. In perfect harmony. That's what Jesus can bring.

What a beautiful country.


What did you think of the commercial? How does it compare with the one from 1970? Have the issues changed that much?

Where did your family come from generations ago? What issues do you think they faced?

What's my mission?

Have you ever gotten confused about what you were really trying to accomplish? Gotten distracted from what you started out to do? I have. But maybe after today I'll remember something that will help keep me on task.

I had boarded a plane for Ohio, where tonight I was to see a friend perform in a summer production of Les Miserables. Just in case you're wondering, it was an awesome night and my friend did an amazing job portraying Marius. But...there, I'm doing it again. Back to the point.

After the door had closed we sat there without moving far too long. Finally, the flight attendant announced, "We were supposed to have already pushed back, but we realized that all our catering supplies had not been loaded. We're waiting for them now."

Excuse me?! It is about a 90 minute minute flight from Atlanta to Canton. Or less. Oh yeah...if we didn't get the catering on board, I'm sure we all would have starved.

Frankly, it was just funny to me. I wasn't in a hurry. But I did blurt out to my seat partner, "Is this an airlne or a restaurant?" Yep, I got my cheap laugh.

But seriously - in my opinion, this was a clear case of a company forgetting its mission. Getting passengers safely to their destination on time is the mission of an airline. Food should never get in the way of that; it's an extra.
___________________

So what about my life? What is my mission? Like the airline and other companies, I claim to have one. It's right here on this page: love God and love people. Everything else is built around that. Sure, there's work, hobbies, and such. But every day I need to remember what my mission is and make sure that when there's a choice to make, I base the choice on my mission.

Otherwise, I'm holding up the flight for a few cans of Coke and peanuts. And that's never good.