Playing Second Fiddle

I went to band camp…for one year. My brother and I had received scholarships for a free year of band camp, but it was our first and last experience. I remember how disorganized I felt, because I didn’t have any “solo” pieces memorized, I couldn’t play the scales that they required, and I didn’t fit in with anyone around me. In fact, I sat next to a girl, during one of the rehearsals, who said that she had a music stand that was specifically designed for a cellist. They MAKE those?! I think she was lying, but I didn’t know the difference anyway.

The most humiliating part of the entire experience, however, was sitting last chair in the cello section of the orchestra. For those of you that don’t know what that means, it means that I was the last kid picked for the team. I was the one that they had to squeeze in somewhere, because there was nowhere else to put me.

Although we had an amazing brass section behind me (I know this, because they made me deaf during the concert), I was glad to get the experience over with. I look back upon that summer and realize that it taught me something very important: I’m not the best.

During this period for Lent, I’ve really been trying to focus my attention on the cross, remembering that every one of my actions is a symbol of Christ living in and through me. So, when it comes to those instances in which I want to be the best, I have to stop myself and think about the cross. Jesus put it very aptly, “…Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43-44).

So, it’s no longer about how good or bad or whatever I am. It’s about what can be accomplished for the cause of Christ. As I remember back to that last-place chair in the orchestra, I am also reminded that playing second-fiddle in life isn’t a bad gig – it’s required! I hope that you will take some time as you prepare for Easter to examine your life and what Christ can do through your heart. You have an amazing opportunity to make an impact for the kingdom of God, so please don’t waste it!

The Eye of the Storm

You've probably heard this phrase before - "the eye of the storm" - but, I'm not sure that we actually take it to heart as much as we should. We talk about the calm before the storm or the peace after the storm, but what about the actual storm itself?? What do we do when we're in the thick of everything and are just waiting it out? You come to the eye...

For a hurricane or tornado, there can be a middle to the storm that seems to be much calmer than the rest of the swirling disaster all around. Right in the middle, with destruction on the outside, the center of the storm seems to cease, almost as a brief respite for breathing. The rest of the storm will surge on, and you will eventually feel the second half; but, while you're in the eye, you have relief.

Occasionally, that relief can be mixed with fear. "I've already come through so much, and I don't think I can handle the rest," is a common sentiment when you're going through the storm. Just when you think that everything is over and you can get back to whatever form of normal you enjoy, your realize that you are only halfway through the battle of the storm.

As I sat and contemplated the storms of life, I was reminded of the beautiful text of Be Thou My Vision. The phrase, "High King of Heavy my victory won," seems to settle everything into place for me. No matter where I am in the storm, my High King has already won the victory for me. I don't deserve it, nor can I fully comprehend the idea that He would care about me, but He does. He has freely given His life so that I might have hope through the storm. Whether beginning, the eye, or the end, I have hope through my High King.

So, we sit in the storm; we are tossed about by the storm; we have wind and rain and cold biting at us through the storm; but, we are anchored in the storm. The eye provides a brief respite, but we hunker down to sit it out. And we wait. And He comforts.

When God Laughs - 6/6/12

I have yet to see a reference to God laughing in the Scriptures. Except for when He's laughing at the enemy. But, I've had this idea - for a long time now - that God just sits there and laughs at me. I mean, if I laugh at me, shouldn't He get to laugh as well? Yes, He is a jealous God. Yes, He is our Provider. Yes, He is the One crowned in glory. But, doesn't He also laugh?? Doesn't He enjoy His creation? Don't we bring Him joy, as a father receives joy from his children?

I made a short list of things that I do that make God laugh. Well, I assume that they make Him laugh. Maybe He also gets mad. I'd like to think, however, that He enjoys my silly blunders like I enjoy them. If not, I'm in big trouble.

1. I think He laughs at my neurotic list of idiosyncrasies. "Bryan, you can't step on the sidewalk cracks? Are you kidding Me right now?" I know! I KNOW! It's just that...well...I have to step carefully, otherwise my feet will feel uneven. "Bryan, if I could use My own name in vain, I'd probably do it with you."

I should probably be in therapy, but it would cost me too much money. If I went, I would have to have at least three appointments a week like Adrian Monk. I just don't see that ending well, so I hope that God enjoys the show while it lasts.

2. He probably thinks my list  of qualifications for a wife is insane. I always thought that it was a good thing to be specific when you pray. I didn't think it was too much to pray, "Lord, please send me a beautiful wife who will love and respect me (obviously mutual), who will pour her heart into me (obviously mutual), and who will join me in ministry." After He continually responded with, "Bryan, just be patient and I'll take care of everything," I finally got upset and changed my prayer.

When I began to pray, "Lord, just send me a woman with a hand-written note from You that says, 'She's the one,' so that I don't have any confusion about my future wife," I think He might have gotten upset. I mean, He never came out and actually said anything about it, but I'm pretty sure that He was upset. I tried the whole awkward-laugh moment and I don't think He bought it. So, we're still a little touch-and-go on that one.

3. I'm fairly certain that He shakes His head at my control-freak tendencies. I didn't necessarily think that it was control-freakish, but I've been told (obviously by others) that I might lean that way. I always thought that I was calm, cool, and collected. I learned, on several occasions (high school, college, post-college, post-post-college), that I'm not as cool as I thought I was.

Sometimes God says, "Bryan, even I don't know what's going on in that noodle of yours. I created you, and you are more perplexing that anyone that I have ever seen." I was fairly indignant at the comment, so I asked my mother, "Mom, I'm a fairly simple guy, right?" The explosion of expression and fits of laughter told me that she was siding with God on that one.

4. He often questions my choice in wardrobe. I thought that wearing red socks with my black slacks and green shirt was a pretty awesome combination. When He said, "Bryan, I think the entire church can see your red socks when you sit down to play the drums," I started to get a little concerned. It obviously wasn't enough of a concern to keep me from doing it, but He began to question my judgment.

I thought, if ANYone would understand, it would be God. I mean, colorful socks just make everything better. If you're having a rough day, red socks just brighten the mood. If you're in a bad situation, seeing some purple argyle can totally change everything around. So, to this day, I'm still not sure if they're allowed...biblically speaking.

5. I think He is weirded out by my food consumption. I didn't think anything about eating half of a block of mild cheddar cheese in one sitting, until my bro-in-law started laughing at me in the middle of Albertson's. Around that time, God began to talk to me about the condition of my heart. I thought we were just having the normal "conviction speech," but I think He was more worried about my cholesterol.

I've since noticed that I'm in the minority for eating cheese. I didn't think it was weird to just offer someone some cheese when they walked into my house. I thought I was being hospitable, but apparently that's more disturbing than anything. So, God and I are still in the process of that conversation.

It's the simple things in life, right? We should take time to laugh at those small and seemingly insignificant moments, rather than being so concerned over all of the things that could potentially go wrong with the day.

I hope that your life is filled with opportunities to share the love of Christ this week. Don't forget that you have been bestowed an amazing opportunity. Use it wisely for the glory of God.

God's blessings on your life this week,

Bryan

http://thebtaylor.blogspot.com

http://feedourstreets.com

Be sure to share the love!

If you'd like to subscribe to this weekly devotional, please forward your email and name to thebtaylor@gmail.com.

Don't Forget to Laugh - 5/30/12

This just made me giggle...

"...Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight...Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. 'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'He's alive!' Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate..." - Acts 20:7-12

Now, I've had people fall asleep while I'm preaching, but have yet to have someone plummet to their death! It's just so crazy to think that, because Paul wouldn't shut up, this man died. And then was brought back to life. And then they went and ate. It's as if nothing had happened. No big deal, this is how it goes when people hang out with us.

Sometimes I forget to just enjoy what's going on. I get so uptight and worried about doing something wrong, hurting people, or saying something inappropriate that I forget to just enjoy the moment. I mean, in the past two weeks, I've been the cause of three or four pretty epic accidents and all the while I'm thinking, "How on earth could that have happened??" But, we have to laugh, right?

If Paul could take someone plummeting to his death because of his preaching in stride, then I think that we can laugh about things that happen in life. There really isn't much else to do, but live life and allow God to take care of the rest!

I hope that your life is filled with opportunities to share the love of Christ this week. Don't forget that you have been bestowed an amazing opportunity. Use it wisely for the glory of God.

God's blessings on your life this week,

Bryan

http://thebtaylor.blogspot.com

http://feedourstreets.com

Be sure to share the love!

If you'd like to subscribe to this weekly devotional, please forward your email and name to thebtaylor@gmail.com.

Letters to My Wife, Chapter 7

Do you remember when we were dating and I would always ask, “Are you good? Are you OK?” I think you finally just punched me to get me to shut up. Or kissed me. Either one would’ve done the trick. I used to make you so irritated when I would ask that, because, of course, you were perfectly capable of telling me whenever something wasn’t right.

It was just part of the learning process. I would do something stupid, you would look at me to say, “You’re an idiot,” and we’d both laugh and move on. But, there was something more going on than the surface tit-for-tat. We were learning what worked and what didn’t.

I realized that my entire goal was to make you happy, but it wasn’t in a way that meant giving you everything. It was in a way that would point you back to the love of God for His child. While I don’t get a lot of things right, I do know how to point people back to the Father. I think that’s what makes me different – sets me apart from many others. The waiting, the watching, and the preparation all lead me back to one thing: God has gifted me, so that I can gift back to Him through you.

I think this started when I was really young. I would watch my dad take care of my mom. She was fully capable of taking care of herself, but it was a delight to see how they meshed together to work as one. It wasn’t “her” job to feed us and care for us.  In fact, my father actually liked feeding us when we were too small to take care of ourselves. I see it now as he cares for his new children.

He ended up doing dishes, rather than watching a ballgame on TV. If mom was working, dad was working just as hard to take care of the house, the yard, and to provide for the family. Again, this is not to say that she is incapable, but rather to bring to light that their relationship was a two-way street.

I desired that same relationship, one that would allow me to care for my wife and give back to her. It really brings to light the words of Jesus as He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Sure, we all want things, but those things seem to matter less as we learn that giving takes their place.

A friend made the following statement to encapsulate how I feel about serving you:

“Bryan, your desire is to love someone so deeply, so intimately, that God has placed that desire in your heart for a long time now. I don’t think you could date someone like you. It seems that you have to find someone that is so different, not because it makes you hardcore, but because you are the only person who could ever show them the love of God through what He has given you.”

And, it’s not one-sided. You have given me so much more than you could ever comprehend. My hope – my desire – is that neither of us is left feeling empty, because everything that we do points us back to the love of Christ.

Chapter 1 :: Chapter 2 :: Chapter 3 :: Chapter 4 :: Chapter 5 :: Chapter 6

Top Five Questions to Ask God upon Arrival

Everyone has thought about it, at one point or another. What will I ask God when I die? Granted, some will be asking the obvious question: why can't I walk into heaven? But then, others have been compiling another list of questions that all point to one thing: we just don't know the answer now. So what will you ask? What are those burning questions that are in the deepest depths of your heart?

Here are mine! Well, partly mine, because partial credit goes to my friend Amanda for her amazing ideas!

1. Did you give actual flaming swords to the cherubim that guarded the Garden of Eden or were they lightsabers?

You see, I'm really a Sci-Fi/Fantasy geek, and it think it would be totally cool, if the first lightsabers were actually used in the Bible, rather than in Star Wars. Think about it - the first Jedi could have been angels. That would mean that Jedi attended to Jesus after His time wrestling with Darth Maul in the desert. It all fits together perfectly!

2. When Jesus walked on water, was it more like a moon walk (since it was at night) or like a dancing fairy?

I've always pictured Jesus as being calm, cool, and collected, but who knows. Maybe He just wanted to dance. After all, can't you picture Him doing the moon walk - backwards - across the lake, just to wave at the disciples as He passed by? THAT would be cool!

3. At the feeding of the five thousand, how many different types of bread were there?

Since there were twelve baskets left over, were they each a different type of bread? I'm sure that Jesus had a jalapeño-cheddar, a nice pita, and also a 7-grain wheat bread. If you're going to feed people, then you have to make sure that you give them the best, and that they get a good variety. I think we sell Jesus short, when we think that He just gave plain bread, especially, if it was without butter. Oooh...speaking of...fresh, oven-baked bread with warm, melted butter. Oh, the delightful and delectable morsels...

4. When Jonah was swallowed by the big fish, was there theme music?

Maybe I'm too accustomed to modern cinema, but I can totally picture the Jaws theme music playing over the cloud speakers as Jonah is getting ready to be swallowed up. Duh-nuh. "Oh, no! People, throw me overboard!" Duh-nuh. "God, the theme music is a little much for me right now." Duh-nuh duh-nuh duh-nuh duh-nuh duh-nuh duh-nuh duh-nuh duh-nuh duh-nuh! "Aaahhhhhhhh! Noooo!" It probably happened exactly like that.

5. Jesus, what is Your favorite worship song?

We all have this notion that our song is the best, because we are praising Him; but, do you think that Jesus ever gets tired of certain songs? I mean, how many times can we say that He's an awesome God, before He just start punching people to get them to shut up? He probably sits on His throne and starts shuffling our worship music, because He can't handle it anymore. Like, seriously people, SKIP, next song. I mean, does He ever just need a break from His worship playlist and switch over to Metallica? He probably starts playing the YMCA, just to shake things up with the heavenly hosts!

What will YOU ask God upon arrival into heaven?

I Think It's Relief - 5/15/12

"My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore." Psalm 131:1-3

Week one of Feed Our Streets is over and I think that I am feeling relief. I'm fairly certain that I was stressed out, but it was really for no reason. I received texts throughout the day from people who were praying for the project; and, I still worried. When all of the volunteers showed up and things were falling into place, I still worried that something could go wrong. When the food was about ready and each of us was standing around to start, my fear was that no one would show up.

And yet, I've been raised to rely on God - the One who created the universe and everything in it. I've been brought up to believe that Jesus calmed the storm, raised people from the dead, and conquered even sin itself. So, shouldn't a step out in faith require a little more faith? As blessed as we are, as Christians, we sometimes forget that there are still others out there that do not know the love of Christ.

A man, from my church, was there to pass out Bibles. One of the little boys came up and asked for one. When he was given a Bible, his smile was beaming from ear-to-ear. He asked, "When do I have to return it? After I eat?" The answer is obvious to us, but not to someone who has never known the love of our dear and precious Savior. If this entire summer is about that young boy receiving a Bible, then the entire project is worth it.

I hope that your life is filled with opportunities to share the love of Christ this week. Don't forget that you have been bestowed an amazing opportunity. Use it wisely for the glory of God.

God's blessings on your life this week,

Bryan

http://thebtaylor.blogspot.com

http://feedourstreets.com

Be sure to share the love!

If you'd like to subscribe to this weekly devotional, please forward your email and name to thebtaylor@gmail.com.