Bridge

On several occasions I've been given a small pocket size booklet called "The Bridge to Life". It's only about 16 pages long and has simple drawings that make it very easy to understand. It shows a man standing on a bridge that has the middle section removed so he can not cross over to the other side. There is a caption just above his head that says "world", on the other side the caption says "God". There are Bible verses and statements that explain how man has been separated from God. As you turn the pages and read on, a cross has been laid to take the place of the section that had been removed with a caption that says "Jesus". The symbolism here is very evident, the only way to God is through Jesus. The man decides to cross over, then he takes action, he crosses over to God. The last couple of pages are an invitation to ask the Lord to come into your life, and to forgive your sins. Do so, and your sins will be forgiven and you will be given eternal life.

What would happen today if we asked Jesus to come into our lives daily? What would happen today if we brought our families, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances to the bridge? What would happen today if they decided cross over to God through Jesus? What would happen today if they took action and asked Him to come into their lives?

What would happen today...?

Overflow

In the book Outflow Steve Sjogren & Dave Ping write:

Go ahead and imagine your life is a fountain...Everyone who has a relationship with Jesus is given power, wisdom, and insight when God sends His Spirit to them as a counselor and guide. The central column of the fountain is the Holy Spirit in your life. Just as the central column fills the fountain, so, too the Holy Spirit wants to fill every one of your relationships with God's love, joy, and wonder. The first bowl catches and distributes the power of the Spirit is your relationship with God... Once you have a relationship with God, the first and most natural place his Spirit will overflow is going to be your home. So the second bowl of the fountain is your relationship with family and friends... The third tier of the fountain represents how the Spirit flows into your relationship with community- especially the people with whom you have little or no natural connection... The last and largest bowl the Spirit wants to fill with love and life is your relationship with the world.

What would happen today if we as Christ followers asked the Holy Spirit into our lives and let Him fill our bowl with His love, joy, and wonder? What would happen today if we let that love, joy, and wonder shine through us onto our families and friends? What would happen today if that loved flowed through the people closest to us into the people around them? What would happen today if that love, joy and wonder flooded over the world?

What would happen today...?

Narrow

Dam across the St. Joseph River in downtown Mishawaka IN.

Fish Ladder at the Mishawaka Dam (far side of picture above)

Every year the Indiana Department of Natural Resources releases 275,000 Skamania Steelhead Trout into the the St. Joseph River just a few miles upstream from the Mishawaka dam. These little guys follow the river out to Lake Michigan where they live and grow to maturity for 3 to 4 years (some never make it to the lake). When they return they have grown from 6-7" fingerlings to 24-36" monsters weighing from 9- 12lbs but can get up to 20lbs.

The amazing thing about these steelhead is that they grow up in Lake Michigan which covers 22,300 sq miles, yet God has given them the ability to return to the same tributary that they came from to spawn. So when the urge hits them they migrate the 63 miles back up the river to spawn.

The Indiana and Michigan DNRs have built 4 fish ladders at the dams that cross this stretch of the river to help the fish return up stream. The one at Mishawaka is the last one (most of the fish never make it back this far). They return in early spring and late fall and have a summer run also. It is awesome to stand at the dam and watch these magnificent fish leap out of the current and try to jump over the dam. They try and try but the dam is to high and the current to swift, they get washed back down every time. After a while they get tired, and rest in the calm water near the river's edge, then they try again.

None of them ever make it over the dam, which is over 300 feet wide and 28 feet thick. But a few of them do make it to the other side. While they are resting in the calm they find the narrow 4 foot wide opening of the fish ladder. The ladder is a series of steps up and around to the top of the dam. They have found the way.

What would happen today if we used the ability God gave us to return to our place of origin, Him? What would happen today if instead of trying to get over the dam time and time again and not making it, we rested in the calm and found the narrow gate? What would happen today if we found the way and took the steps to follow?

What would happen today...?

Drummer

Much is written about the weapons and strategies of the American Civil War but little is said about the importance of the drummer. Its often thought that a drummers' only task was to beat cadence for his unit while marching. That was only a small part of a day in the life of a young drummer. Without a drummer to establish communications and keep order among the units in the field, many campaigns would have ended in failure. The drummer had many responsibilities, including using one of many drum calls for everything from assembling officers for strategy meetings to sounding retreat in the midst of severe enemy fire. A drummer could always be seen near a high ranking officer because at any time he might be needed to alert the troops of an upcoming movement or operations. Once the men were assembled and deployed to a particular engagement, the drummers would lay down their drums and take up stretchers, act as runners between outposts, or do whatever was necessary to help the unit. -Excerpt from http://www.wildcatband.com/

What would happen today if each one of us was more like a Civil War Drummer? What would happen today if we beat a cadence that was different than that of the world's? What would happen today if we could always be seen near God ready to sound an alert for His troops? What would happen today if we did what ever it takes to help the unit like these brave young men?

What would happen today...?

Training

An LAFD firefighter uses a chain saw to "open up" the roof on a house. This is called "venting the fire" and allows the heat, smoke and flames to vent through the hole he/she has made. This also takes the heat and smoke away from firefighters working below inside the house.

I have great respect and admiration for firefighters. These men and women train hard for every unexpected incident that could happen. They know how to use their gear, they know how to control a fire, they know their business. Lives depend on the precious seconds they save because of proper training. These people take risks everyday that most of us would never imagine. They rush into burning buildings to save people trapped inside yet, they don't run in haphazardly. They rely on their training and instincts to make split second decisions that saves lives while keeping themselves safe. They work as a team, setting all personal difference aside for one common goal; to save lives.

What would happen today if we trained like firefighters? What would happen today if we knew our spiritual gear, and relied on our training? What would happen today if we worked as a team, and we set our personal differences aside for one common goal; to bring people to the Lord?

What would happen today...?

Prayer

The first paragraph of the book Crazy Love by Frances Chan reads:

"What if I said, "Stop praying"? What if I told you to stop talking at God for a while, but instead to take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word? Solomon warned us not to rush into God's presence with words. That's what fools do. And often, that's what we do."

I've asked people about their prayer time and they sometimes say something like; I pray in the shower, or on the way to work. They recite an inventory of prayers for their families and friends or something that they need help getting through. I know how it is, I've done this too.

Here's the thing about these kinds of prayers, although they are heartfelt, when we do this we are talking at God not with him. If we pray while we are driving our attention is on the road, and not on God.

What would happen today if we all went into our rooms, closed the door, and got down on our knees and prayed? What would happen today if we gave the Lord our undivided attention for a few minutes? What would happen today if we humbled ourselves before the Lord, and listened for His voice, instead of rattling off our laundry list of requests?

What would happen today...?