Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow -

I have experienced my share of painful moments in ministry, and this past Sunday ranks extremely high on the list. How does one share the news with the congregation you planted and have served for 7 years that you are absolutely convinced that the Lord has brought your time of direct service with that beloved family of faith to a close and has directed you to move on to another place of service? Well, of course, you just have to say it, but the declaration itself is often not adequate for addressing the many questions that arise as the faithful flock ponders the news that can present a great deal of uncertainty as to what comes next. I have a few thoughts that I hope will offer reassurance to those with any concerns and confidence to all that God is in this decision and this decision will result in blessings and growth for all who are engaged in His Kingdom work as it pertains to Eastside Community Church of Harper Woods. It is truly a moment that is sweet and sorrowful at the same time.

My first thought is this: Eastside is not MY church. I mean this in the most absolute sense. Jesus said The Church - all believers from all ages individually and all local bodies and collections of believers who have come together in His name past, present and future are HIS. That means Eastside is His possession, not mine and I must make decisions related to Eastside's well-being not necessarily according to what makes me comfortable or what makes life easier for me. Jesus has a Kingdom agenda for Eastside. I have come to an understanding that my primary role in God's Kingdom agenda for Eastside Community Church was to get it up and running. I believe the Lord has put the gifts that Luz and I possess to good use in this catalytic, get-things-going role and that Eastside is now primed to grow and expand under the leadership of another pastor with gifts and skills that lend themselves to growing and expanding a small church administratively and ministerially. The potential for the future of Eastside is exciting and it is sweet!

My second thought is focused on the members of Eastside themselves. My Eastside family is wonderful, beautiful, magnificent and glorious. These amazing people consistently make an impact on the immediate community and the world at large that is proportionately much greater than their numerical size. My love for these people is boundless and their love for me and my family has been and is immense. It is because of this great love and my family's interconnectedness with the members of Eastside that our departure is painful. If there were no love, no affection and no concern for the people that have been my extended family for the last 7 years, we could simply pull up our stakes and leave without a second thought. But the love overflows, the affection abounds and the concern is eternal. For us, though the situation full of sweetness as we look toward the future, because of our monumental past, it is also accompanied with a profound sense of sorrow.

Nevertheless, the call persists. In the convergence of events, circumstances, and people that the Lord uses to help us discern His will at any given moment, Luz, the girls and I believe without doubt, that the Lord has called us to transfer our direct ministry gifts and daily ministry operations away from Eastside Community Church of Harper Woods, MI and towards Grace Church of Racine, WI. There are no differences in theology, mission or purpose. The doctrinal statements of the two congregations are virtually the same and both local bodies are inextricably dedicated to the Great Commission - taking the good news of Jesus Christ to all the world - and to the Great Commandment - demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ to all people in real life and real time.

These commonalities are strong and bind both bodies together in the economy of God. Nevertheless, their histories and ministry foci are somewhat different. Eastside is a smaller, newer, more diverse congregation with a heart for ministry and poised for growth in infrastructure and the coordination of its ministry structures. Grace Church Racine is a larger, older and less diverse congregation with a strong infrastructure seeking to implement new ministries to reach the community and new opportunities to reflect the beauty of diversity within the context of the local church. The Lord has used my family and I to establish Eastside as a significant presence on the east side of Detroit and as a useful help to other ministries around the world. Eastside is now ready to grow in number and in strength under the direction and leadership of the person of God's choosing in God's time. Grace Racine, though much older and extremely well-established, is at a time in its history that it is prepared to initiate new ministries and strategies to reach the Racine area, the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor and the world as it never before. Joining the Grace Racine family once again places my family and I in a position to initiate, create and implement new strategies to reach those who need to know the love of Jesus Christ on a very broad scale and to assist, encourage and partner with smaller congregations who are committed to do the same.

Our decision is truly a Kingdom focused decision, rooted in our desire to pursue the Lord's will and maximize the use of our gifts for His Kingdom. It is a hard decision emotionally, yet it is an easy decision when our focus is turned towards the Lord and His agenda. We love Eastside. We love Grace Racine. Above all we love the Lord and we are committed to follow Him even when it hurts. I ask you my family and friends to pray for us and to join us in praying for the congregation we are leaving and the congregation we are joining. Also, feel free to ask any questions you might have regarding this move and our perspective on God's plan as it pertains to us. Parting is indeed such sweet sorrow, but following Christ's direction brings us joy and the joy of the Lord remains our strength. Until next time...

Sam.

Passing the Baton

"I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved!" So states the U.S. Army's First General Order. It is a principle of service that I have continued to apply beyond military endeavors and which has shaped my attitude towards ministry service since I began following the Lord's calling on my life over 25 years ago. It was in that spirit that 12 years ago, Luz, our girls and I left our beleoved ministry in Cleveland and began our Motown ministry adventure. Our time of ministry here in "The 'D'" has been punctuated by almost every human emotion - joy, sorrow, triumph, disappointment, heartache, victory, doubt and hope. Our family has grown and experienced God's amazing love in abundance all along the way. We have dreamed boldly and we have seen God's faithfulness to us in every situation through which we have traveled and have come away from even the most painful of experiences with a deeper faith in the Lord and a renewed commitment to walk forward in our lives whatever the circumstance.

Nevertheless, as vocational Christian workers, even when we have emotionally felt that we were riding the crest of a wave, we have always endeavored to be sensitive to God's leading and to follow His call wherever it might take us. It is for that reason that after much prayer, contemplation and reflection, we have arrived at the conclusion that the Lord is calling us to pass the baton of leadership at Eastside Community Church to others and to follow His call to Wisconsin. There I will serve on the staff of a wonderful Church and a strong body of Christians dedicated to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment as the Pastor of Outreach. It is my duty in that ministry capacity to lead the congregation in outreach ministries "Here, there and everywhere" in accordance with Acts 1:8 which would include local and International ministries.

It is our sentiment that our work in Eastside has reached its climax and that it is time to allow others to build upon the foundation that the Lord has mercifully allowed us to establish. It is also our belief that our next ministry assignment offers an optimal opportunity for us to put our gifts to use in the most effective way at this time in our lives and at this stage of our ministry experience. The passion and focus that has characterized all of our ministry assignments will continue, it is just the setting and context that will change. Also, the diversity, warmth and heartfelt outreach that have characterized Eastside will also continue and I believe grow as new leadership emerges with a fresh sense of God's purpose and direction for Eastside of Detroit.

I will continue to share my thoughts on faith and life through the vehicle of this Blog. As I continue to share, please keep in mind that the next two months or so will be a time of transition in the ministries we are bridging - much like the passing lane of a relay race where responsibilities for one leg of the race taper off and, as the baton is exchanged, the responsibilities for another leg rev up to full speed.

We ask for your prayers as we seek to follow the Lord where He has led us. Please feel free to let us know how we can be of service to you and encourage you in the faith during this exciting period of our lives. Until next time...

Sam

Eternity in Their Hearts

During the past four days, our church has been fully engaged in our annual action-packed VBS ministry we call Kids Adventure Week. It's a week filled with fun, games and activities all geared to introduce children to who Jesus is and how Jesus wants us to live. I am amazed at how spiritually attuned even the youngest children can be. I was most amazed to have a reminder of this truth hit very close to home.

While chatting about church business, my youngest daughter Victoria, who is four, played all around me, hopping in my lap, kissing me on the cheek, hitting me with various objects, seemingly oblivious to the conversations Luz and I were having. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Victoria asked a question that piqued my interest: "Daddy, what's your mommy's name?" "Georgia." I replied. "Where is she now?" Victoria continued. "With Jesus." I answered. "How did she get there?" Victoria followed up. I paused. "How do I explain this?" I thought. "Well, I guess I just need to say it." I sat Victoria on my lap and began to more directly engage her in conversation. "She died." I stated plainly. "What does die mean?" She inquired. "Well, it's when your body stops working and your spirit goes on to Forever. For people like Grandma who know Jesus, those people go to be with Him." "Will you die Daddy?" I really didn't want to think about that, but it was a great question and a good reminder of how I should approach the rest of my life. "Yes." I said. "When?" She retorted. Another good question. I thought of friends who have passed on from accidents, disease, mishaps and considered my family history and other factors as well. "I really don't know. I'm asking Jesus to let it be a long time from now so I can be with you for a while. But, it's up to Him. It will be when He has planned it." I answered. She responded immediately. "What about me? Will I die?" Wow. "One day Sweetheart. Everyone dies. Most likely it's a long time from now, and Jesus has plenty for you to do before that. But it's a good thing to remember." Her questions had me reflecting on some pretty critical issues. She frowned. "I don't understand everything you're talking about Daddy." I reassured her, "That's OK. It can take a while to understand what dying is and even Daddy doesn't understand it all yet." That satisfied her curiosity for the time being. "Can I go play now?" She asked. "Of course!" I answered. She hopped out of my lap and was once again on her way.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 states that God, "...has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." Human beings have been created to understand that there is more to life than what we can see in the here and now. Even a four year old has a cosmic curiosity that causes them to ponder deep questions and seek meaningful answers. Jesus was well aware of this a took time to address the spiritual needs of children. Many of us are familiar with Jesus' advocacy for children as expressed in the gospels. Mark 10:13-16 reports,

1People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Jesus became indignantly angry when His disciples became too absorbed with their own goals and agendas to recognize the clear responsibility and opportunity of ministry that stood right before them. I am thankful to Victoria for reminding me of the reason we do our Kids Adventure Week each year. Children are of the utmost importance to Jesus and deserve our prioritized focus, our loving attention, our nurturing touch and our spiritual blessing. Keep your eyes open in your daily walk for the opportunities the Lord will give you to bless a child. The attention you give will please the Lord and may help to provide some important answers to the spiritual questions the Lord has placed in their hearts. until next time...

Sam.

Real Men and Umbrellas

An endearing character in a 70's slapstick comedy had a recurring line that boiled down the challenges of manhood in a sngle phrase: "It's hard to be a man, Baby!" During my own growing years, my father must have felt the same way. His sentiments about the difficulties of manhood were expressed in a careful mixture of tenderness and toughness, designed to make me a caring, but tough man. One of the elements of my dad's toughening process was teaching me to deal with being wet. If it rained, we didn't stop any outdoor physical work activities. He held to the Army axiom, "If it ain't raining, we ain't training!" Besides that, I was never allowed to carry an umbrella. "You're not made out of sugar! You won't melt!" My dad would teasingly taunt. The principle that real men couldn't be stopped by water was reinforced time and time again. When I walked to school and it started to rain, I knew better than to expect a ride. "I wasn't made out of sugar. I wouldn't melt." The years passed and it kept raining. Even after I left my parent's home, through military training, missionary ventures, ministry experiences of all kinds, married life and fatherhood, it kept raining. I still wasn't made out of sugar and I still wouldn't melt.

Then came my latest visit with my father. I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to see Dad for a day in North Carolina this week. We spent a day laughing and recalling times past - retelling stories of the tough and tender lessons my parents meted out and how those lessons had provided wisdom and guidance for me in all sorts of situations. My father was curious about the "full details" of many of the stories I had abbreviated over the years to keep him from worrying and to prevent him from knowing just how painful some of the events of my life had been. I shared about the loss of our daughter Samantha and just how close we had come to losing our daughter Victoria at birth. I told of almost being shot in the Philippines on a couple of occasions. I shared some of the more harrowing stories of our ministries among the poor and some of my most emotionally trying times in ministry, like the time when fellow minister absconded ministry funds and used them to corrupt a vulnerable coworker and to support an extramarital affair that almost collapsed our ministry. I shared the victories too, the funny tales and the miracles - all of which made my dad laugh with glee. Still, I could see that he continued to reflect on the tougher times I had just shared with him.

All the talking made us hungry, so dad and I went out for Chinese Cuisine. I drove us both to the nearest take out restaurant and Dad decided to wait in the car. While the order was being prepared, it began to rain - hard. Remembering our conversation, I began to chuckle. It looked like I'd have another opportunity to prove my manhood! A few minutes later, I turned to face the cashier to pay for the order. I turned to see how Dad was faring in the car and couldn't believe my eyes. Dad was shuffling along towards the door with an umbrella in his hand. He came to the door and closed the umbrella as he stepped inside. I just couldn't resist the temptation. "It's alright Dad!" I gently teased, "I'm not made out of sugar!" He smiled but I noticed tears were in his eyes. "I know," he said. "But I think you've been rained on enough." Then he handed me the umbrella. The tears were mine now. I paid for our food,and Dad and I walked to the car arm in arm under the umbrella . The was nothing more to prove, just a whole lot of love to share. A great lesson in parenting, and my dad barely said a word. Just a day in my life, with the man who gave me life - a real man who continues to teach me what manhood is all about. Until next time...


Sam.

Remembering the Price of a Nice Day

One of my most cherished summer vacations came in the days immediately after the end of my Plebe Year at West Point. With the rigors and demands of Plebe Year behind me, I made my way to Fort Bliss, Texas, where my father was attending the U.S. Army Sergeants' Major Academy in preparation for his promotion to Command Sergeant Major and the fulfilment of the highest career goal an enlisted soldier in the United States Army can achieve. After relishing a few lazy days to just relax and regroup, my father invited me to accompany him to a social gathering of other "E-9"'s from the Army and as well as those from other branches of the military who were also attending the Academy.

One of his more colorful comrades whom I had the privilege of meeting was a Marine Corps Sergeant Major - a Recon Marine, Sergeant Major Solomon. He was a "typical" Marine - which means he wasn't typical to any average person you would ever meet - VERY highly motivated, very confident and very proud to tell you why he felt the Marines did everything better than everyone else and very ready to prove it! While these "Top Sergeants" were conversing, a bumper sticker on Sergeant Major Solomon's car caught my attention. It read, "Have a nice day America. Your Marine Corps is ON DUTY!" The truth of that statement grabbed me, especially in the context of standing in a parking lot alongside veteran service personnel who had all served their country sacrificially and had never forgotten the price that accompanies the freedoms all Americans enjoy so readily and that many Americans just as readily to often take for granted. It's just too easy to forget that while we work, play and sleep in comfort and safety, brave people driven by a love a freedom and a devotion to the principles for which this nation stands face continuous and innumerable perils for our benefit.

That is why any reminders of the cost at which our freedoms are maintained are appropriate and worth noting. I received such a reminder this morning as a friend and West Point classmate forwarded an article to me recounting the homecoming of an Illinois National Guard unit that her husband commands and that has just completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan. The Chicago Tribune article is entitled, "Not Everyone Comes Home". It is an excellent and touching article. The title alone stands a simple reminder that even when we celebrate the return of those who have served in harm's way, there are absences that go unnoticed by casual observations but that are all too conspicuous by those who returned alive, their families and the families of those who perished in the service of the nation.

After finishing the article, it occurred to me that had I not received this reminder, I would have very likely gone about my daily tasks without quite remembering that I am able to enjoy many pleasures casually because of people for whom the word "casual" in no way applies to any aspect of their lives. They are always "on" - standing ready to drop everything to confront the adversaries of liberty, even at the risk of their own lives. All of this, so that the rest of can "have a nice day."

As you consider the rest of your day, let me give you a little homework. When you have a little free time, click on the link I have included in this entry and reflect once again on the challenging work that is being carried out by those who serve in the military. When you've finished, think of how you might offer a personal message of gratitude to someone who is serving, has served, or who is paying a price themselves by being the surviving family member of someone who has demonstrated "the last measure of devotion." It will be a tribute that is well-deserved and much appreciated. Also, from now on, whenever someone addresses you with the benedictory salutation, "Have a Nice Day", use it as a reminder to remember the needs of those who are serving and the life-changing sacrifices they make for us all. Now, go on! Have a nice day! Just promise to remember how much it costs.

Until next time...

Sam.

¡Manos arriba! The Challenges of Profiling

I was running a bit late and needed to get to the church for a sound check before the wedding. I was to sing a solo and was eager to make sure everything was just right for my friends. I had just pulled out of our seminary's boulevard and was headed towards the downtown area of Columbia, SC. Though I was in a hurry, I made sure not to exceed the speed limit since it was hard enough to make ends meet in seminary without having to add traffic tickets in the mix. Just as I was nearing the interstate, I saw several police cars behind me closing in at incredible speed. I pulled to the side to let them by and thought, "Wow, somebody's in trouble!" I had no idea. To my total shock, one pulled in front of me, several behind me and one the the side with a shotgun drawn and pointed at me, mouthing in the harshest possible language for me to pull over. As I came to a stop, several law enforcement officers bounded from their vehicles with heavy weapons drawn, surrounded my car and yelled for me to get out of my vehicle with my hands up! At this point, my parent's training kicked in. "Anytime you deal with law enforcement officers who for some reason believe you to be a criminal they must apprehend, be as respectful, courteous and compliant as possible. Do NOTHING to agitate, irritate or provoke a law enforcement official to even consider you are resisting them, especially when their weapons are drawn. If you are innocent and you heed our advice, you might live to fight them in court." That advice flashed through my mind as well as other instances in my life that I had been mistaken for someone involved in criminal activity and found myself staring down the barrel of a drawn weapon.

As I slowly and carefully kept my hands visible and opened the doors of my vehicle to get out, the officers barked harsh and rather vulgar directives telling me to place my hands on my vehicle and to spread my legs. As I was doing this, the voice of the officers changed. "Wait a minute." he said. He then asked his comrades, "You notice anything strange?" One of his partners replied in a quieter tone, "Yeah, he's wearing a tuxedo." A could hear other officers walking to the rear of my vehicle. One of them said, "There's a sticker from the Bible College on the bumper, some christian stickers and an 82nd Airborne patch too!" The leading officer's face changed slowly as he asked me, "Are you a CBC (Columbia Bible College) student?" I replied, "Yes Sir officer - actually I attend the seminary, but yes Sir, I am." he then asked, "What wre you doing about thirty minutes ago?" I replied, "I slept in, spent some time studying in my room, then showered to get ready for my friend's wedding at a Presbyterian Church downtown." He looked at me, then his compadres who had inspected my vehicle, lowered his weapon and said, "It's clear we've made an error. You fit the description of someone who just fled a murder scene and has numerous other serious warrants outstanding as well, and your vehicle is the same, make, model and color as the vehicle in which he fled. it's obvious ou're not him. You're free to go." With that, I got back in my vehicle, they returned to theirs, and we were all on our way.

Was I the victim of profiling? Yes. Was it understandable? Yes. Did I like it? No, but I understood the officer's perspective and didn't allow the incident to cloud the rest of my day or life. There are times when peace officers must draw quick conclusions with limited information and act on their hunches with little room for second guessing. In a similar situation, I certainly would have taken the same action that the officers took towards me. There are other incidents, however, that are significantly different in context and require a great deal more restraint when experienced. On another occasion while in seminary, I was attending a meeting for our school's first welcome week event. I had forgotten to bring some notes to the meeting and ran back to the dorm with my travel-sized Bible in my hand. It took me a while to find my notes, but I eventually located them. When I emerged from the dorm with the notes and my Bible, a light suddenly shone in my eyes, and I heard those chilling words, "Freeze. Slowly put down your weapon and get your hands up!" I froze. "What weapon?" I thought. Acting on instinct and my parent's training, I slowly put down everything in my hands and raised them up high. I heard footsteps approaching. As the officer got closer I heard a sigh of embarrassment, saw him holster his weapon and heard him say, "Sam?" I replied, "Yes, Sir." As he drew closer I realized that I knew the officer - actually a bonded security guaard authrozied to use a weapon - and he knew me. He informed me that a call had been received saying a threatening looking black man had been seen running towards the dorm area with a dark object that appeared to be a weapon in his hand. I reflected, "Was I threatening looking? Very fit (at that time) pretty serious looking when not smiling. Small Bible that could be mistaken for a weapon. maybe." But I was still frustrated. I breathed deeply and summoned every bit of godliness I could muster in a situation I knew had now been diffused. Not in a chatting mood, I asked "Can I go now?!" My friend responded, "Oh, oh...yeah. Go ahead!" I had experienced profiling in a totally different context, much less threatening than the first incident at a glance, but in many ways, a situation that was actually much more dangerous for me!"

Of course, I am sharing these memories in light Harvard University Professor Henry Gates and his recent experience in Cambridge,Massachusetts where he was arrested in the context of his own home. As a citizen who understands the need for law and order and who appreciates the diligence of a concerned neighbor, I can see the one side of the equation. Law enforcement officers as a matter of survival must err on the side of caution as a matter of life and death. A call from a concerned citizen, the abundance of clever criminals and the need to protect the innocent could lead to a decision similar to the one the arresting officer, Sgt. James Crowley, made, especially if his experience had placed him in situations that validated his conclusions. On the other hand, as an African-American male who has experienced profiling numerous times and continues to experience it in many different contexts beyond the two incidents I've shared, I can understand the frustration of being caught up in a situation that might have seemed ludicrous.

One attribute that seems conspicuously absent from both Sgt. Crowley and Professor Gates is humility. Professor Gates may have assumed that his position and standing in the community had made him exempt from profiling and finding himself in such a position. It doesn't. He may also have forgotten that one captures "more flies with honey and vinegar" and that a "soft reply turns away wrath." In most of my profiling situations, I have found that the use of courteous speech and thoughtful and careful responses has allowed those charged with enforcing the law to take a step back, reevaluate their actions based on my response and come to a better conclusion that the one at which they had first arrived. As Carol King said in her song "Smackwater Jack" one must take great care in trying "to talk to a man with a shotgun in his hand." The professor might have later thanked the officer for his zeal and carefulness and used the moment to "win a friend", by commenting on the complexity of law enforcement when race, class and profiling merge together in the "fog of a moment".

On the officer's part, his refusal to apologize for anything he did is a failure to acknowledge that even when one takes a step that one believes is right - and which may be "right" procedurally, one must have the ability to regroup after the revelation that one's response was in error "factually." Imagine the power if Sgt. Crowley had said, "Sir/Ma'am, it's clear I made an error. My intent was to protect your home from an intruder. I did my duty in your interest, not understanding who you were. I just want to reassure you that we will be vigilant in protecting you and your property. You have my sincerest apologies, however, for mistakenly thinking that you were the intruder and embarrassing you publicly by arresting you. If I can do anything, including making a public statement to help to restore clarity and truth to the situation, be assured I will be glad to do so."

Perhaps I am asking too much here. We're not talking about a street thug and a crooked cop. We have a highly respected professor and a seasoned, veteran police officer. It seems that between the two of them, they could think beyond self-justification and think about true reconciliation. As a Christian I must hold myself to a higher standard on both sides of such issues. Christian forgiveness is an exercise in taking hits. It means, regardless of the other person's response, I will take the high road. This incident could have presented a wonderful opportunity for the professor and the officer to show how two reasonable people can find themselves in an ugly situation, but make an effort when time and information allows, as this situation has allowed, to pause - step back and regroup with an appreciation for another's perspective and the human decency to rise above the need to be right by doing right. I know that life being what it is, I will certainly face future profiling situations. I ask you my friends to pray for me - as I will pray for you - that when found in such positions, I will have the courage to pause, reflect and to do the right thing. If enough of us commit to this standard, maybe we will make at least a small dent in our nation's on-going challenge to truly live out its creed: E pluribus unim - From the many, ONE! Until next time...

Sam

20 Years Ago In Manila - Lessons from a Love Story!

It was breathtakingly beautiful! Palm trees, crystal blue water, perpetual sunshine - just a gorgeous place! I had read of how Douglas MacArthur had been enchanted by the striking view of Manila Bay, but didn't fully understand until I saw it for myself - I was definitely spell-bound. Then I met the people. Friendly, hospitable, courteous, I knew this wasn't Heaven - there was enough poverty and pain present to keep reality within my grasp, but still I found the place truly enchanting! I wasn't the only one who noticed. In fact, several of my colleagues had also managed to notice that there was an abundance of smiling, friendly and beautiful Christian women serving with us as we began carrying out our duties as Missionary Stewards during Lausanne II (Manila 1989), the Second Global Congress of World Missions - sponsored by groups like the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Our co-laborers had not escaped my notice either, but I had steeled my mind to be focused. "We don't have enough time for socializing." I explained. "We can be friendly, but our duty comes first and there's way too much of that to have time for coffee and chit-chats." Yes, I had it all figured out. But that was before the Xerox machine broke down, and before I met her.

We were a few days into the conference and I had come to know the Philippine International Conference Center (PICC) like the back of my hand, and a good deal of the surrounding part of Manila too. I had run all kinds of errands. I served as a Body Guard for people who made runs to Embassy Row on Rojas Boulevard and served as a "gofer" - going for this and going for that - on all kinds of problem-solving adventures that blessed me with a good deal of exposure to the area and to a number of fascinating missionaries from all around the world and some pretty high profile folks too! Everything was humming along perfectly until my supervisor, Bill Thatcher, asked me to go back to the Central Office to make copies for a Plenary Session speech that needed to be translated. I just didn't want to do it. I don't know why, or what got into me, but I spent 10 minutes trying to convince him that he could find somebody else to do it. "No." Bill insisted. "I want YOU to go!" I grudgingly gave in, and took the materials I was given to the central office to be copied. I opened the door and then I saw her. She was on the phone and efficiently and effectively moving people, projects and paper - getting things done. I walked over to the copier to get started on the copies, but couldn't get it to work. "Well", I thought, "that might give me an excuse to chat with her." She noticed I was waiting and looked up smiled and asked if she could be of help. BEAUTIFUL smile. BEAUTIFUL PERIOD! I felt like someone had hit me with a gazillion megawatts of high voltage electricity. I had NEVER felt this and hoped it wasn't what I thought it was. It felt like I had a stupid look on my face and I prayed she hadn't noticed. I tried to play off what I was feeling and asked for her assistance in making the copies. She assisted right away, directing me towards another copier, removing a project she was working on as she helped me. The project contained information about the agency she served with, Youth With A Mission, and the work she did with children in a severely impoverished area of the city situated on a garbage dump and known as "Smokey Mountain". I was fascinated by the work and fascinated by her. I found out her name was Luz Bautista and knew right away that I would find as many excuses as I could to run more errands to the office. When I returned to Bill and asked if he needed any more copies, he didn't ask me why, but smirked in a way that made me suspect that he had a hunch. I guess those Gazillion Megawatts left a something on my face that was hard to hide!

In the days immediately after that encounter, I did manage to find all sorts of reasons to run errands to the central office. In the midst of an insane schedule, I always managed to swing by the central office to say "Hi" to Luz. I even began to leave her written messages when she wasn't in (a strategy that almost backfired as my first mote was misdirected to another woman named Luz - "Luz" is a very common name in the Philippines!) Nevertheless, it all eventually got straightened out. After sharing our hopes, dreams, and vision for serving the Lord over more than a few cups of coffee and late night phone conversations, it was clear that God had brought us together.

I won't go into the details in this entry, but suffice it to say I had no idea of how much of a quest was in store for me in the pursuit of making Luz Bautista my wife. The excitement involved Labor Strikes, Air Strikes, Negotiating with Governments and even powerful church officials. The adventure exposed the redemptive power of chastity and restorative power of selflessness. My oddessy also fulfilled years and years of prayer that started when I was a very little boy, who at my mother's gentle urging began asking for a wife that God faithfully and powerfully provided in a totally unexpected way at a totally unexpected time.

Yes, twenty years ago this week I was struck by a lightning bolt named Luz. I can't stop the tingling, and 20 years later though there have been some frowns and some tears too, I'm still stuck with a silly grin that I can't quite explain. For those of you who are looking for love and fulfillment in your life, I don't really have any instant formula to give you. I can share this timeless principle from a well-known but frequently ignored directive from Jesus:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you(Matthew 6:33).

A friend of mine put it this way: "You take care of God's business, and He'll take care of yours." J. Hudson Taylor, the faithful missionary to China had his own take on the principle. He said, "God's work, done in God's way will never lack God's supply."

If you're struggling to see God at work in your life, is God's Way and His Work your first priority? Are you pursuing Him knowing that He will lead to you to everything and everyone you need, or are you pursuing everything and everyone, hoping that God will jump in and go along for a ride according to your plans later? God has been very merciful and mighty in my life, not because I was good, but because when He chose to work powerfully for me, I wasn't so far away from His hand that I couldn't recognize His move when He made it. I challenge you today to stop making Jesus your motto or logo. He needs to be your Lord, which means HE'S in charge of your life! When He is in charge, as His hand moves, you won't have to scurry or worry trying to figure out if He's working. Instead, you'll be ready to conform to His will following the leading of His hand. It all came together for me by following His Word and His Way. As I have followed, He has been more than willing to lead and guide me in a ways I can't miss. God hasn't changed. He can do the same for you in your life situation as well if you just follow His lead and let Him have His way. To think He showed me all that through a love story. Until next time...

Sam.