When the power chair doesn't move, move on.

I don’t think I can count the number of times kids have walked into the grocery store, caught a glimpse of the power chairs waiting directly inside the doors, grinned from ear to ear, and then jumped on for a joy ride. Unfortunately, the power chairs provide little entertainment because in order to operate, there needs to be certain amount of weight present on the chair. Most kids don’t fulfill this weight requirement. The reason for this? Apparently the power chair manufactures did not think children could properly operate said power chairs. I have to believe their assumptions are correct. For the sake of our displays of breakable bottles of organic apple juice, it would be better if juveniles were not taking joy rides on motorized machinery around our less than spacious store premises.

Sometimes I see a power chair, get excited, and hop on for a joy ride. In other words, I see a possibility or have an idea that I want to pursue. But God has different plans, He’s put a minimum weight on the “power chair” that I don’t quite meet. He knows I cannot properly operate certain power chairs and prevents me from taking joy rides that would have a negative impact on my or others’ lives.

Just as the excited kids leave the unmoved power chair disappointed, I walk away from an unfulfilled possibility with aggravation, cynicism, or even anger. We are so nearsighted that we fail to see why the power chair doesn’t move. In reality, we will never know what would have happened if the power chair moved. Maybe the apple cider display would have come crashing down, maybe some little old lady would have been run over, maybe the pyramid of apples would have rolled themselves all over the produce department. But do we really need to know the “what if?” Sometimes it’s just good enough to know that God knows best.

The child in us doesn’t care in that moment about the potential disasters that could follow our joy ride. When failed opportunities pass by, we rarely consider the idea that maybe it was in our best interest.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

There is nothing in our lives that is not part of the Lord’s will. He knows what is best for us and which power chairs we cannot handle.

Rather than throwing a fit, skulking around, and missing out on other potential opportunities, it’s best to move on with the knowledge that God knows best. Not all the power chairs we encounter will bring us joy, but the fact that God cares enough to look out for our best interest is enough to keep me going.

When the power chair doesn’t move, move on.

Find your running shoes and keep running

I would not call myself a “camper.”  I am more of the “sleep-in-my-own-bed” and “take-a-shower-everyday” type person.  However, I am currently training to be a Resident Assistant at my University, which included a camping trip for the past couple of days.  Part of this camping experience included participating in competitive games (which is also not generally part of my “type”).  One such game was entitled “pot-o-points”.  In this game, our teams had to find one of the Resident Directors who had the “pot o points,” take a coin fro the pot, and bring it back to their team’s box.  This sounds simple until you add in the fact that it was in the dark, in a wooded campsite no one was familiar with, and had other Resident Directors scattered around the grounds waiting to “capture” you. 

Before we headed out on our “pot-o-points” mission, we were all asked to grab an item out of a pile.  There were bags of food, crazy hats, reflective gear, tarps, oversized glassed, twine, scuba gear, and other random items.  After we had each grabbed an item, we were then told what benefit that item would bring. 

The tarps acted as invisible capes when a person or object was completely covered by it, the glasses allowed the player to see into the “pot-o-points” to pick out the best coins, flashlights could only be used by those wearing the hats.  I happened to pick up the reflective gear, which granted me immunity to the “capturers” so long as I was running. 

Our special items allowed each member of the team to bring a special advantage to the whole.  When used properly, the items were beneficial.  When used incorrectly or not at all, they were worthless.  I made the choice that I would run the entire duration of the game so I could get the greatest possible advantage out of my special item. 

When God gives us spiritual gifts, he intends for us to use them.  When we fail to recognize what our gifts are and how they can be used to support the body of Christ, we hurt the body of Christ. 

Imagine if I didn’t run.  I would be captured, have my coins taken away, and be a useless member of my team.  Or what if the person with the glasses chose not to use their “gift” of being able to look into the pot and just chose a coin without caring?  By not using their special skills, they would hurt the entire team. 

If I was sent out to run around a track or on a treadmill for two hours, I probably couldn’t do it.  I would get tired, think about how I’d rather not be running for that long, and stop.  But in the midst of the game, I knew I had to keep running.  There was one point in the game where my red converse shoes just weren’t cutting it for the duration of this run.  But that didn’t stop me- I ran to my tent, laced up my running shoes, and got right back in the game. 

What if we went through life with that same mentality?  That using our gifts wasn’t an option, but a necessary part of life?  How much better would the body of Christ function if we all used our gifts to better the body as a whole?  Sometimes using you gifts will get tiring, push you out of your comfort zone, or be more work that you expected.  These are the times when you have to go find your running shoes and keep running. 

We are given our gifts for a reason.  God has given us all different gifts and strengths so we can help others in their weaknesses. 

“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us” (Romans 12:4-6). 

Unlike the pile of random “gifts” we chose from in this game, God has specifically given you a gift suited to fit you.  By using our gifts we help build up the body of Christ and we glorify God in fulfilling the role he has given us. 

After all was said and done, I was sweaty, tired, and had blisters on my feet from running in my red converse all-stars.  But I had no regrets.   Yes, I got lost several times and didn’t find the “pot-o-points” until nearly the end of the game, but I did all I could to help my team.  I used my gift to the best of my ability and never stopped running.  God doesn’t expect that all of us will do extravagant things with our gifts.  I probably won’t solve world hunger, or provide beds for every child in Africa.  But so long as I keep running and use my gift to the best of my ability I will glorify God and leave this world with no regrets.  

The hypocrisy of your car decor

I am not a fan of tailgaters. I’m not talking about the gung-ho football goers who make the parking lot smell of barbecue and fattening goodness, no I like those kind of tailgaters. The kind I am talking about are those people who feel they must drive so close to the back of your car that you spend the rest of the time they are behind you, looking in your rearview mirror. It’s almost like we think watching them in our mirrors will miraculously make them stop following so closely or somehow keep us from being rear-ended.

Unfortunately, I had a tailgater following me as I was making the drive to Salem to move back to school. I was in a particularly peaceful state of mind: listening to newly purchased music from itunes, had the breeze blowing in my hair, and was ecstatic to be headed back down south. However, this peaceful state of mind came to a screeching halt as my attention turned to concern for the rear end of my vehicle which contained my meticulously packed belongings.

This crazy lady followed me all the way to the freeway. Once we were on the freeway, I stayed in the right lane hoping she would zoom by me in the fast lane, relieving me of unneeded anxiety. She did exactly as I thought: cut over into the left lane, sped by me, and then jumped right back in front of me. What I saw on the back of her car made me laugh. She had a bumper sticker that read “WAGE PEACE.” Oh, really?

What good is it if we say things, claim to believe things, or even permanently attach bumper stickers to the backs of our cars if we don’t live them out? It is easy to say words. In fact, we often use too many words and don’t mean what we say.

We accept Christ into our hearts by proclaiming He is Lord, that we are sinners, and that we need His salvation. This is a huge claim we make. We say He is Lord, but do we mean it? Or do we mean it like that lady with the “WAGE PEACE” bumper sticker meant her claim to peace? Do we say one thing and live out another?

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess” (Hebrews 10:23). So what does it mean to “hold unswerving?” I think the answer is found in Luke 14:27, “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Our claim to know Him as our Savior needs to be a daily choice to carry our cross. It is not a one-time application of a tacky bumper sticker. I’m not saying your can’t proclaim your faith on the rear of your motor vehicle, but I would advise you live out that proclamation or face being laughed at by fellow drivers who see the hypocrisy of your car décor.

But beyond our Christian bumper stickers and various other paraphernalia, we are automatically labeled as “Christian,” “Jesus freak,” “youth-group-groupie,” “Bible girl,” or however else the society around us perceives us. Regardless of their word choice, they are aware of our beliefs and we have the choice of living them out, or letting them be only words. You can’t wage peace by driving like a maniac, and you can’t claim Jesus as Lord by living a life of sin.

On your knees, with Crayola scissors in your hands.

We all love to “work the system.” We love when we find a loophole or some alternate route to go about getting what we want. Even at the ripe age of four, I learned to work the system. It all began with the strong desire to cut my doll’s hair.

I asked my mother if I could cut my doll’s hair, to which she answered “no.”

Disappointed, I went back and pondered a new tactic. I asked if I could cut my sister’s hair. Again, she answered “no.”

By this time I had learned two things: I was not allowed to cut my doll’s or my sister’s hair, and when I asked, the answer was “no.” This meant I needed to find something to cut that was not belonging to my doll or my sister and I should avoid asking to avoid receiving yet another “no.”

My loophole: the Persian rug. I took my green, plastic, Crayola scissors and proceeded to give the tassels on the Persian rug a trim. Surprisingly, the plastic, kid-safe scissors did a serious hack job on the rug. Not surprisingly, Mom knew exactly who the culprit of this crime was. In fact, I can vividly remember the night she came into my room, woke me up, and inquired about the new appearance of our Persian rug. I denied all charges.

God tells me “no.” There are some things in this life that I want that are not in God’s will for me. So I try another route, and He says “no” again. Then I find some sort of Persian rug loophole. I find a way of doing what I want, avoid directly asking God about it, and end up with a nighttime confrontation.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13).

The truth is, even when we think God is not watching (like I thought my mom would never know I had cut the tassels), He is there and He knows. In order to “work out my salvation,” I have to live a life that aligns with God’s commandments and is in obedience to Him.

My mom was always proud when we acted in obedience to her; it showed her that we loved her enough to trust what she said was right and wrong. In the same way, we show God our love for Him when we obey him, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15).

So when temptation gets the best of you and you find yourself on your knees, with Crayola scissors in your hands, ready to trim the Persian rug… think twice. God already knows what you are doing. You cannot hide and will be forced to face the consequences.

We still have that Persian rug (the tassels are now taped underneath). It sits at the bottom of the stairs. I walk on it dozens of times every day. It is a constant reminder of my disobedience some 16 years ago. I am not proud of it (however it does make for a good laugh in the Hammack house), but it helped me learn I cannot hide from my mother. Is there something you disobeyed God on? Has it left a scar or a constant reminder for you? Rather than continually making mistakes, put your Persian rug at the bottom of your stairs to remind you each and every day. We all make mistakes, but we are expected to learn from them. Maybe that’s why my parents never got rid of that rug.