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Tag: leadership (Page 1 of 11)

It (I) Will Never Be Enough

May 17, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Tasks completed. Goals reached. Hurdles jumped. Achievements made. Boxes checked. All are signs that you’re moving in the right direction. Under normal circumstances these would be markers of success or advancement, but sometimes they don’t mean a hill of beans. And the sooner you realize it, the less it hurts.

Ok before we dig too deep here, yes I’m ok. No I’m not going off the deep end. Some of this is personal. Some is anecdotal. Some is simply the harsh realities of living in the world.

The long and short of this post is that to some people no matter what you do it will never be enough.

I’ve worked a variety of roles in my 48 years of life. From line cook to bartender, from manufacturer to car sales, from church planter to pastor of a staff, from coach to counselor there are tons of roles that I’ve filled in my life. I’ve had more jobs than many.

I’ve been working since I was able to get hired somewhere, and rarely did I ever have just one job at a time even while pulling a full course load in college. Sixty to 80 hour weeks have been a part of my life for decades.

I started bagging groceries at a local store. To be honest the job didn’t suck but it certainly wasn’t my favorite. So I quickly figured out what needed to be done to move up, and I did it. The same was the case in every other place I have ever worked. I look at the tasks, evaluate the job description, see what needs to be done to advance and I do it. I’m a task guy. I get things done. And I am driven by recognition and, if I’m being honest, the recognition of title and salary are probably ones that speak the louder to me than they should. Hence Lead Dairy Stock Crew was far more appealing than Bagger!

But there are times and environments when even the goals achieved, benchmarks met, hurdles jumped, and all the things checked off in sequence don’t yield the results you thought they would. For some people no matter what you do, it will never be enough.

And when that happens you kind of have two options. You can let it bring you down, cause you to spiral, throw up your hands and just say screw it all. That’s the bury your head in the sand kind of approach, and for some people that’s just what needs to happen for a season. But you can’t stay here long or you’ll end up in a depression filled stupor that will impact your performance and relationships.

The other option however is to realize that just because you’ll never be enough for this person, or that group, their opinion isn’t the only one out there. There are times when you just need to buckle down, do the work, and look past how others don’t see the value in what you bring to the table. Sure you can drop it all and go find greener pastures. That certainly is an option, but chances are you’ll be disappointed later too. Because not too far down the road you’ll find someone else who tells you by their actions that you’ll never be enough.

It’s unfortunate but your value will be determined by the person, or people, who mean the most to you. If that’s your employer, then you’ll probably bounce from job to job pretty quickly. If it’s your family, then you’ll be hurt when the kids don’t listen. If it’s your church, well it’s full of people carrying just as much baggage as you so be careful. But there could be a better place to find your value.

There’s only one place where your value isn’t dependent on your performance. And if you want to know where that place is, just ask. I’ll gladly show you where your value is, because I’ve had to go there often when I realize that for some people I’ll just never be enough no matter what they say.

Nine to Five

May 16, 2024 / / 3 Comments

I remember the movie from when I was growing up. I’ve probably only seen it once but the premise or maybe just the title is something that I think about off and on. Actually as I write this, I just finished a quick conversation with my wife about the whole 9-5 idea.

Some days I’m jealous of the times I had a regular job. A job that I could arrive at one bell and leave at the other. A job where I swiped my badge and logged my hours and left. A job where the job stayed in the building. A job that didn’t wake me up at night. A job that didn’t make my stomach turn because of how people act. A job where the harder I worked and the more I accomplished the clearer the lines for advancement. A job where hard work counted for something.

Some days I wonder what it would be like to be in a job where people didn’t criticize me for getting a new car. Where people didn’t think I was paid too much all because my family can travel to Disney (even though my wife is a travel advisor and that’s part of her job, not to mention the offsets she’s received as part of her stellar work). I wonder what it’s like to be able to buy a new pair of shoes or sport coat and not have people think I am squandering my wealth.

If I’m being honest some days I kind of wish my life fit that category. But then there are other days.

The days when I get to hold your baby as I sprinkle some water on his forehead and remind him that he’s been marked by Christ the crucified. Or I get to sit by the recliner of your grandma as she struggles for her final breath. I get to hold your head as you throw up because of the horrendous life change that was just forced upon you and you don’t know what to do next. Or I get to watch as you trust me to teach your child about how important faith is to them as they grow and mature.

The past 12 months have been some of the most challenging of my ministry and many people probably have no clue. From losing people for whom I cared deeply to people I thought were friends stop acting like friends to a few other situations that are more private than public. Let’s just say the struggle has been real.

I know some of you are going to read this and get all wigged out. But please don’t do that. Don’t read anything into what’s here. By now you should know that I’m kind of shoot straight kind of guy. Rarely do you have to read between the lines with what I’m saying. So just in case you’re having a hard time here you go.

Over the past couple of years I have definitely thought about what the future looks like. I’ve wondered if it wasn’t time to move back to a 9-5 kind of situation. I’ve contemplated if I’ve outlasted my usefulness in ministry. And just so you know I’m not alone in this, there are some startling stats about how many pastors have struggled with this over the past few years, like over 60% of us have considered leaving the ministry!

But when things start to go off the rails and my head and heart begin to hemorrhage these feelings of doubt, someone shoots me a text or calls me to offer a word of encouragement. Maybe I get to baptize a child. Or I hear why your son or daughter wants to be confirmed. I get to hold the hand of your dying loved one. I get to reassure you of the power of the resurrection even over your darkest grief. The doubt subsides and the reality peaks back through.

Now here’s where I need you to listen. I’m not saying that my occupation is better or worse than anyone else’s. I don’t write this to try to glorify myself over you or falsely lower myself in a backwards pride moment. I put this here because someday I’m going to need to come back and read it. Some day, when the dust settles I’ll be able to look here and be reminded of just how blessed I am to be surrounded by so many wonderful people.

As I close this post out I’m reminded of a quote that’s been rattling around in my nearly empty noggin. In preparation for a recent message I was reminded that the thing you value most will determine your value. There are times when I let my value be driven by the way others respond, or don’t respond to me.

Let’s make sure today isn’t one of those days.

Integrity

May 16, 2024 / / 0 Comments

In a world where filters reign supreme and authenticity sometimes feels like a rare Pokémon, let’s take a moment to appreciate the underrated hero of the character trait world: integrity. It’s like the Jedi of honesty. Yes, I’m talking about that seemingly old-fashioned concept of doing what you say and saying what you mean. Integrity isn’t just for boy scouts and tea parties; integrity is the must-have accessory for navigating the rollercoaster ride of life.

Now, let’s get one thing straight: integrity isn’t about being a goody two-shoes or playing by the rules 24/7. N0, it’s about being true to yourself in a world that’s constantly trying to mold you into something you’re not. It’s about being undivided and wholly minded. It’s like blowing society off and saying, “Nah, I’m gonna do me.” But to be you, you have to know who you are.

In a world where fakeness runs rampant, integrity is like a breath of fresh air. It’s the antidote for all the bologna in the world, the secret sauce that separates the real deal from the wannabes.

Think about it: when you’re true to yourself, you attract the good stuff—real connections, genuine friendships, and maybe even a free coffee from your local barista who just thinks honesty is cool! But when you’re living a lie, well, let’s just say you’re more likely to end up in a world of hurt.

Now, I’m not saying integrity is always easy. Nope, sometimes it’s like trying to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle! But here’s the thing: when you’re walking your talk, you’re unstoppable. It’s like strapping on a pair of boots and stomping through life with confidence.

And let’s talk about trust, shall we? If trust is like currency in the bank of life, then what about integrity? Well, it’s your golden ticket to unlimited withdrawals. When people know they can count on you to shoot straight, you become the go-to guru, the rockstar of reliability.

But hey, I get it—sometimes the truth hurts. Maybe you’ve got a secret stash of embarrassing childhood photos hidden in your closet, or perhaps you overstated your abilities. Maybe you totally blew off some commitments and now are rushing through life doing them half cracked and you’re afraid someone will notice. But here’s the kicker: owning your truth is liberating as heck. It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid and shouting, “Yeah, I’m flawed, but that’s who I am!”

So, here’s the deal, friends: embrace your inner rebel, wear your integrity like a badge of honor, and remember that being real is something that will never go out of style! Life’s too short for fake smiles and filtered realities. So, go ahead, show the world what you’re made of—warts, quirks, and all. After all, being authentic just might be your best side yet.

The Entrepreneurial Challenge

May 14, 2024 / / 1 Comment

By definition and entrepreneur is someone who starts things. And starters are essential to keeping a society growing! Whether it’s a new business, church, school, or just about any other new thing you can imagine without the starter types we’d be stuck in a rut!

But there’s a problem that happens in these start up scenarios that often causes them to fail. And if we’re honest with ourselves, it in a way is the starter’s fault. Many starters can’t make the transition to the roles needed to keep an organization or business sustaining .

You see it takes a special breed of individual to start something. But often the kind of person who starts something isn’t the same skills needed to keep it going.

Another term for this is the founder’s trap. The person who founded the organization keeps functioning like the starter when the organization is well beyond the founding stages.

You see when a new business or even nonprofit is started, the founder plays a lot of roles. Pretty much the founder does everything!

I remember when I started a church. I was the janitor, set up guy, tear down guy. I changed the lightbulbs and made sure the bathrooms were fully stocked. I vacuumed the carpets. I sometimes even pulled the trailer. I did the powerpoint set up and picked the songs we’d sing. I had my hand in just about every part of the church.

Now this is not to say no one was there to help but as the founder or starter I was kind of expected to be in all the things of the church. And that can’t last forever. The longer I let myself stay in the founder or starter seat, the harder it was to get out of that chair. The more things I did, the more things were expected of me. The starter needs to figure out a way to transition from the everything chair to the leadership chair and quickly give some authority away.

Entrepreneurs are wonderful people! I have some of those entrepreneurial tendencies to this day. I love to get a new thing going. But what I’ve learned, with some age and experience, is to give things away sooner rather than later.

Now here’s a little piece of experiential wisdom. The person you give it to likely won’t do it exactly the same way you do! And you have to be ok with that. If there’s a system, then they have to stay within the system. But if you give them the task of making it their own, you have to be willing to give it up!

I get asked questions a lot about things I have no control over anymore. I have given things to other people trusting that they will do the job to the standards we have set up. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t. When they do it is applauded and I know very little about it. When things don’t stay within the framework of our structure or move toward the targets we have set up, then things go off the rails quickly and I have to get involved in areas I don’t want to touch anymore!

If you’re a starter kind of person, then find people you can trust and hand things over to them. Hand over tasks to people who can only handle tasks. But to those people who’ve proven themselves responsible, give away the authority that is need to get the job done. The more authority you can give away, the more work gets done and the more effective and efficient the organization becomes.

It’ll be ok

May 13, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I hate that phrase. It’ll be ok. It’ll all work out if you just have faith. Are you serious? I have to be honest, Christians say some really dumb and insensitive things!

One thing I wish people would learn is that if you don’t really know what to say, then it’s very much ok to keep the mouth closed! The worst is when people take things out of context. Grab that favorite bible verse and spit it back at someone who’s struggling or you think needs to hear just this little tidbit. If you’re going to do that make sure you have the whole story please!

This week we talked about one of those often out of context verses. It’s from Romans 8:28 and goes like this. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 

I know what that verse sounds like. And to be honest I’ve heard people take that verse and use it in situations where it just does not apply! Times like when someone is really hitting a wall with depression or loss. When someone is struggling with the weight of illness or relationship pains is not the time to throw that verse out! So if that’s not what it’s about, then what is it?

One thing we need to do before we speak is to make sure we know the context. What did Paul mean in these words? To whom was he speaking? What comes right before this? What comes right after it? These are just a few questions that help us make sure we’re appropriately applying a given verse.

In this particular case, Romans 8:28 isn’t about just sucking it up and trusting that the cancer will go away or that the divorce was for the better or whatever scenario we come up with. It’s about looking at the struggles in our lives through a different set of lenses.

Our struggles in life, yeah even the really crappy ones that no one wants to relive at all, are there because in the midst of them God is up to something. Not that we should grin and bear it. But that God is doing a hard thing in us to help us better reflect him to the world around us.

The point of our struggles isn’t that we have a lesson to learn or we’re being punished for a particular wrong doing. The struggles we face often are there to help us live out the purpose for which we were created. And that purpose is to reflect the image of Jesus everywhere we go.

This is the point of discipleship. If you’ve been with us here for any length of time, then you likely have heard me say that discipleship is the process of being transformed into the image of Christ for the sake of others. This is exactly what our struggles and pains are all about. Forming and often reforming that image of Christ in us.

Look – your struggles are going to flat suck some days. You’re not going to want to get out of bed they’re going to be so rough. You’re going to want to throw in the towel some days. You might even collapse on the floor in your bathroom unable to keep food down, laying in a puddle of your own tears not knowing how you’ll ever face tomorrow. But that struggle, as horrible as it is, is part of something way bigger than that moment.

Paul reminds us earlier in the chapter that when we compare our struggles to our good days, we won’t be able to handle it. But when we compare our hardships to the amazing grace and goodness of God that awaits us in heaven, then these struggles will eventually pass. When we keep our eyes stayed on the true and perfect cross of Jesus, then we begin to see past our struggles and find the glory of God that will one day be our reality.

So will it be ok? I really don’t know. It’s going to hurt. I can’t take away the pain. No one can. But I can help you see past the pain to the one who will be there long after the pain is gone. That’s even more powerful than knowing it’ll be ok.

Truth

May 10, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I was taught as a child that telling the truth was important. As a matter of fact, as I grew up, telling the truth became a sign of who you are as a person. Perhaps another post for another day will be on integrity and hypocrisy, but for now we’ll stick with something that should be simple – tell the truth.

To get started we probably should make sure we’re all on the same page. There is a ton of misinformation swirling around about what truth even is. So what is truth? According to the dictionary truth is defined as the property of being in accord with fact.

Did you get that? For truth to be truth, it has to be true and based on fact. Unfortunately, we live in a day and age when the common understanding of truth is that which is true to me. But that my friends is not truth. Truth is not relative to your circumstances. Truth doesn’t change just because you don’t like or you don’t agree with it. You can’t erase truth or cancel it just because it hurts your feelings!

Think of the truth of gravity. Say one day you don’t like the idea of gravity. You think it is restrictive and oppressive to have to live your life with your feet planted on the ground. Some people seem to be able to defy gravity because they can jump higher or longer than you. It’s just not fair and it makes you feel bad about yourself. So you one day decide you no longer believe gravity to be truth.

It doesn’t work that way! Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean you can get rid of it. Erasing gravity from a text book doesn’t mean it’s not real! Getting rid of a person or place or historical period because it infringes on your personal beliefs and happiness quotient is like trying to erase gravity just because you don’t like it. Can’t do that and you know it.

Ok so what do you do when you don’t like what’s going on around you? There are really only two options. You can suck it up buttercup and deal with the harsh realities that sometimes life sucks and try to do something positive with it. Or you can mope around retelling your particular version of truth to make yourself feel better. Neither will feel great in the moment but one will make you stronger on the other side. And if you need a hint, burying the truth won’t make you stronger. It will just let you live in denial a little longer – and no I don’t mean the river in Africa!

Look sometimes the truth hurts. It hurts to tell. It hurts to hear. And often it hurts to have it applied to you. But it’s the truth, which means it’s what really is or has happened! You can’t change that any more than you can change gravity.

I’m not a fan of liars. Actually, lying is one thing I just can’t stand. If you’re on my staff and I catch you lying, you won’t be there long. My kids know that I’d rather them tell me the hard truth than me catch them in a lie. I’ve walked away from friendships with people who just can’t tell the truth.

So be a truth teller. Be honest. Even if you don’t like the message or what it means could/should happen to you – the truth is the truth and your raw emotions don’t have the right to spin a truth to make your feel better.

Hammocks and Jesus

April 29, 2024 / / 1 Comment

Have you ever laid in a hammock? Some people love them. Basking in the sun on a warm summer day. A light breeze blowing. The birds are chirping in the trees. Every once in a while you hear an airplane doing a pass above the skies. And as you take a deep breath you smell the aroma of fresh cut grass.

Man almost takes you to a different place doesn’t it? Some people just love a good rest in a hammock! But I’m not one of those people. There’s something about hammocks that cause me trouble. You need to be able to sit still. And if you know me, I don’t sit still very well.

For some hammocks are a wonderful moment of rest and relaxation. For people like me, they’re a death trap waiting to throw you to the ground and laugh at you while they spin around in an untamed fashion.

Ok so maybe I’m slightly over exaggerating here. Still I’m not a fan. I’m also not a beach fan or nap fan either. But that’s not the point.

Even though I don’t do hammocks, I think they can teach a little bit about Jesus. As I was reading through Romans 8 recently, I got a bit of an image run through my mind. I think in pictures if you didn’t know.

I started to see the image of a hammock. And instead of the hammock representing a nice summer rest, I saw it as a picture of my salvation in Jesus. I started to think of the reasons I don’t care for hammocks. I have a hard time laying still so they tend to throw me out.

Then it hit me. That’s kind of like salvation. Not that Jesus throws me out when I don’t rest. It’s the fact that the more I struggle and fight and work for my salvation, the harder it is to appreciate and live in it.

When I struggle in a hammock I fall out and hurt myself. When, instead of resting in what Jesus did for me to save me, I try to be a good enough person to earn God’s love or work hard to somehow help God save me, I find myself falling out of love with God. When I see my work as something that helps God save me, I never find rest. I fight against the hammock. And while I can’t make God love me any less, I sure can lessen the power of God’s salvation in my life.

I guess the point here is that no matter what you personality we all need to rest in the finished work of Jesus. Anytime we try to add anything, even our own good works or loving efforts, to what Jesus did we set ourselves up to fall out of that hammock. Jesus plus anything is nothing.

Today, find yourself a hammock. A real one or a figurative one. A place to rest and just revel in the wonders of God’s love for you. Let him hold you. Let him be the one who has today under control. Enjoy the love and mercy of a God who has even this day in his hand.

Pie Slinging Problems

April 24, 2024 / / 1 Comment

The tendency, when we face a problem, is to look outside of us for the problem and inside for the solution. We do it all the time actually. It’s the blame game. Something goes wrong and it’s generally someone, or something, else’s fault.

You get to work late, so it’s traffic’s fault. You oversleep. It surely has to be that your alarm didn’t even go off. You can’t stick to a diet. Well it must be that the other people in your house don’t diet the same way you do so you give in just to make them feel better.

This is not a healthy approach to problem solving and it stems from a significant internal issue. There is a better and healthier way to look at things. The problem generally is inside of us while the solution is outside of us.

When we identify the problem as being someone else’s fault, we tend to think we are our own right answer. Going to be late for work? Instead of getting up a little earlier, which often means going to bed a little earlier, we drive a little faster. When the problem is cast onto someone else then the solution is sought by deeper resolve or greater effort.

But what happens if we flip the script on this? What happens when we admit our fault in the problem? Instead of throwing the pie of blame at someone else, we belly up to the table and eat the pie we baked with our own actions.

I unfortunately see this in my life as a pastor as well. It actually happens more often than I’d like to admit. We feel a little dry in our spiritual life. We aren’t getting anything out of church. We feel like the music is meh at best. We don’t like that style or the way he dresses. We don’t like the preaching style or the way she confronted me about that issue (even though I know I’m wrong).

Whatever it is, we all too often react the same way. We cast blame on the other party and leave. We feel like the worship isn’t what we want, so we leave for greener pastures elsewhere. Or we walk away because they are obviously the problem.

The issue is that problem will follow us. The issue is we’re doing it for the wrong reason, with the wrong heart. Maybe it’s not the worship that’s dry? Maybe it’s that our heart isn’t in the right place! Maybe it’s not that we were offended by the way we were called out for something? Maybe it’s that we actually feel guilty. And instead of repenting of these things, it’s easier to just turn and walk away.

But walking away from our brokenness won’t fix it. Blaming someone else for something that really is our problem, won’t make the problem go away. It might delay its effects. It might elongate the time between the problem and the explosion in our lives. But it won’t make it go away.

Isaiah really drives this home in his letter in the Bible. Look some don’t like the Bible because it’s all churchy, whatever that really means. But the Bible is massively practical. Even if you’re not a religious person, I’m sure you can get something very practical out of the things found in the Bible.

Isaiah walks through the life of Israel. He talks about their problems and the many issues they’ve faced in life. Then around chapter 43-44 he starts to show how it’s not that God is the problem. It’s that their heart is the problem. They were offering sacrifices but didn’t really care about them. They were showing up for worship and getting nothing out of it. They were there but not really present.

They were going through the motions! And so do we at times.

Isaiah’s answer…repent and come back. If you’ve run from the problems in life, blaming everyone along the way, then it’s time to stop running. It’s time to turn around, repent/apologize and make amends. It’s time to claim your piece in the pie so you can healthily move on.

If you’re a pie slinger, then you’re really missing out. Some of this pie might be a little bitter, but I can promise you that if you take time to claim your piece of the pie your relationships will be stronger and your life will actually be more fulfilling.

The Struggle Is Real

April 22, 2024 / / 1 Comment

Ok so I should start by saying I have been a tad out of routine lately and these haven’t been nearly as often as I’d like. Got a bit busy but think we’re on the right track again.

This Sunday we landed the plane on chapter 7 of the book of Romans. It’s a chapter all about how the life of the follower of Jesus is not as easy as we would like to paint it at times. We have a tendency to think of the Christian life as some kind of surreal experience. It’s like once we “commit to following Jesus” everything in life starts going “better.” Which if you’re a follower of Jesus you know that isn’t true. In the least. The struggle is real!

Romans 7 is a raw and honest assessment of the life of the believer in Jesus. We’re at war…constantly. But not at war with one another or the world around us like we tend to display in our social media posts. We’re at war with ourselves.

If we’re honest, truly honest, with ourselves we’ll have to admit that we don’t always do the things we know we should be doing. We make up our minds about something and then get distracted. We have the best of intentions but fail in our attempts to actually do the thing we know we should be doing.

Paul, one of the rockstars of the Christian movement in the New Testament, admits to this struggle as well. And if he struggles then we should pretty much be ready for the struggle as well.

Here’s my favorite verse from this section. The good I want to do, that I do not do. But the evil I do not want to do, that I end up doing. Can you relate? I sure can.

For the longest time, it seemed as if the church portrayed the image of come inside with us and your life will be better. I don’t think that’s the message of the Bible. It sure isn’t the message of Paul here in Romans. And it is not the reality that I’ve faced in my own life.

I guess if we were more accurately to describe the life of the follower of Jesus it would be something like…come inside just as you are and realize what real love feels like. I mean seriously! If you knew everything there was about me, you would not like me at all let alone love me! But God in all his infinite wisdom, knows every little thing about me (past, present, future) and still loves me. We’ll talk more about that in the weeks to come.

I have people that are friends, or were friends(?), that just can’t see past the flaws in my character. I guess that makes one wonder if they were ever really friends to begin with or just coming alongside me for something they could gain from me? It doesn’t really matter, because even though people in this world have messed up priorities with regard to relationships God still loves me unconditionally.

Paul goes back and forth in this whole section about just how bad things really are. The struggle and the pain of trying to live for Christ only to realize the more I know Jesus the worse I see my own intentions and actions. Then he ends with what hope is there?!?!

He’s seemingly exasperated and overwhelmed. Wretched man that I am! he says! What hope does he have? What hope do we have? It’s one and the same. Jesus. Yeah I know you were expecting that answer but do you know why?

Jesus knew your past. Knows your present. And sees your future. He knows every little thing about you. And that’s why he came. When he went to the cross and said Father, forgive them for they know not what they do, he was talking about me and you. He saw the bad decision I made. He saw the website you clicked and lingered on just a little too long. He knows the lie you told or the hate in your heart for that neighbor who’s a real pain. He knows all of it! And that’s why he did what he did.

He went to the cross. He took all of those bad choices and challenging moments and nailed each one individually to the cross. They didn’t kill him. But he willingly gave his life to free you from each of those moments. It’s like taking that cool cleaner stuff to a whiteboard and removing all evidence that it was ever written on before! That’s what the cross has done.

So the struggle we face isn’t about pleasing God or having a perfect life. The struggle is the sin vs salvation fight in my heart. We’re 100% sinful but at the same time 100% saint. We’re not going to be perfect and God knows that! But we’re called to live a changed life. Coming back to Jesus for forgiveness when life goes off the rails. Then get back on track and start moving again.

I know the struggle is real but the salvation God offers in Jesus is even more lasting!

Death Is Blind

April 15, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Tall or short. Fat or skinny. Rich or poor. Black or white. Old or young. Popular or unknown. It really doesn’t matter. Death doesn’t care about any of these things. When it shows up, it’s blind to all of these peripheral matters.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been in the presence of death more than I really care to be. From responding to emergency calls as a chaplain with the Sheriff’s office to pastoral care at life’s end for members of the church I serve, I’ve stood toe to toe with death the past two weeks on more than one occasion.

Death doesn’t care what time of day it arrives or who it comes to claim. It just shows up when the time has come. Some are prepared for it whatever that means. While others are totally blindsided by its presence on the doorstep.

One of the calls I received was a total shock to the family while the other was somewhat predicted. One was devastating and heartbreaking, while the other was filled with hope and joy for what was to come. One was calm and peaceful while the other was anything but peaceful. One was young and the other was a life well lived.

The two scenarios couldn’t be much different actually! But they still had something in common. Death came knocking and death seemingly won, at least for the moment.

In life we try to do everything we possibly can to prepare for every possible scenario. We squirrel money away for retirement. We stockpile food for a catastrophe. We have security systems to keep us safe. We even buy life insurance in the event we can’t outrun death when it does show up.

We try so very hard to control the outcome of our actions. We diet and exercise. We get good sleep and have mindfulness times throughout our week. We take vitamins or use those voodoo oils (yeah I said that for some friends but I really mean those essential oil things).

We can be healthy in every aspect of life medically speaking but when death knocks sometimes there’s nothing you can do to stop it. And it really doesn’t care.

The most recent couple of times death has come knocking it hasn’t even been during daylight hours. It wasn’t in the middle of the day when I could break away. It was overnight and interrupted sleep. Death just doesn’t care who it impacts or when or where.

Death is blind, but we don’t have to be. The most recent death I experienced was for a woman who lived a very long life. She died at 104 years old. Just a few months shy of 105 actually! And while death at any age or time really stings, she was ready. She wasn’t blind to death even though it was blind to her.

She was ready, but what does that even mean? You don’t pack a bag to get ready to die. You don’t typically put it in your day planner. But she was ready. She prepared for this day for most of her life. She did it by knowing what death meant for her.

She was a church person, as am I. She knew that death was never meant to be part of her story. But she also knew that since death was one day going to come and find her, she needed to arm herself with the only thing proven to beat death. What beats death? What beats a blind and indiscriminate killer of all?

She knew the only thing she could arm herself with was the promise of the one who died willingly and rose powerfully to give us hope unceasingly. She would always say that her life was mostly good and that the only way life could be fully good was when she was with Jesus. She knew that Jesus was her death defeater. So now she’s not just mostly good. She’s more than mostly good. And I bet she even gave death a little sassy grin because she knew what death forgot. In Jesus, life always wins and that’s more than mostly good!

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