I Don't Ever Want to Recover!

Recovery. It's an interesting word in my life right now. I'm going to the doctor on Tuesday to have a surgery consult on my foot. I am going to have a tarsal tunnel release. I know, it's sounds like so much fun you all want one now to don't ya!

One of the things that I've been looking at seriously is the recovery time. How long is it going me to get better after they slice my foot open and put it back together?

It looks like right now it's three week without any weight on it and then up to three weeks in a boot and maybe up to a year for a full recovery.

But this post isn't really about my foot. It's about recovery.

I heard a pastor today describe another man as a person who "has never recovered from the cross."

That floored me. It made me realize that in a lot of ways I've fully recovered from my experience with the sacrifice of Jesus. I've been working hard to get reinfected. I think I'm starting to get to the contagious stage again. But it caused me to think really hard about my "recovery." I see it all the time. People who encounter the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and are just wrecked. And then over time they begin to recover and get back into the old routine and normal habit. And it's at that point when we aren't contagious anymore. We can't infect others with the life change that comes from Jesus.

I don't want to be recovered. I don't want to ever recover for the cross. I want to be wrecked for the rest of my life. Because it's out that the power of Jesus will show through. That His Glory will be brightest because I'm so hopefully about Him and not about me.

So just a thought for tonight. Are you recovered?

What's It Gonna Be?

The new year is here. I've always like the New Years holiday. Don't get me wrong, Christmas is awesome. I love Christmas, but New Years always just had something a little different about it.

I learned to play Trivial Pursuit at New Years Eve parties my church growing up would have every year. I was, of course, not old enough to actually play but I did hold the title of "Official Question And Answer Reader." In fact, most of the crazy and useless things that are stuck in my head come directly from the 1980's Genus Edition of Trivial Pursuit. Not the game about the 80s but the game that was released in the 80s!

Before Janaye and I were married we went to one of these parties together. We were a very spiritual group so instead of playing games, counting down the ball drop and yelling our heads of at midnight about 11:45 everyone would gather in the sanctuary (I don't think the term "worship center" had been invented yet) and we would sing and pray in the new year. Now this isn't a bad idea... I kind of like it. But it was at this party that I really felt like God was giving me the go ahead to spend my life with Janaye.

The next new years we were in Los Angeles with a group of people from Chi Alpha attending a conference. I had spent an agonizing two hours with Janaye's dad two weeks before getting his blessing to ask his daughter to marry me. I had the ring in pocket and every chance I got I would pull it out and look at it. The plan was to find a spot around midnight on New Years Eve and ask the big question, but after trucking the ring across four states I just couldn't wait. So she got asked a few days earlier than planned. She said yes!

We used to do a Comedy Show on New Years Eve. They were a lot of fun. But I can tell you that they were more work than anyone will ever know. I really enjoyed the improv and getting to meet and spend time with the talented people we brought in to help out. It was a good time. But after everyone left to go to another party or go home to bed we would hang around and spend another hour or two tearing down the setup. I would get home sometime close to midnight and just collapse into my bed.

The last few years we've spent New Years Eve with people from our small group! We play poker, or we watch movies, but we always cook (this year it was tri-tip roast slowly grilled with homemade coleslaw and mac and cheese!).

For whatever reason many good things have happened to me around the turning of the year.

I would encourage you to find something good as this year turns. Maybe you need to join a community group. Maybe you need to develop a daily Bible reading habit (This is my recommend). Maybe you need to find someone who can hold you accountable for your stuff.

Whatever it is, instead of making a resolution, make a change. Dive after it. Chase it hard. Don't give up.

What's it gonna be?