Life Storms; An Analogy #StayclosetoJesus

There simply is no way of getting around it; Pennsylvania has been hammered by storms this winter. This is not to state that other places have not been getting hammered, because I'm sure they have, but it has been an unexpected amount for the winter season. From powdery snow to bone-clenching ice storms I've had a front row seat to the elements as they've howled around my little trailer.

Most readers know what takes place in an ice-storm, but for those who do not, let me enlighten you. Definitely the most deadly of the winter storms, "ice-storms" sweep in, encase everything in ice and then gradually bend or break your will. Quite literally if you do not have the strength to stand, in this case speaking from the standpoint of a tree during an ice-storm, you will topple.

The thing is, from the outside anyway, every tree looks like it can withstand an ice storm before it hits. When the weather truly gets rough the mettle of the tree is finally tested. A tree just down the road from my home looked solid before the storm, but in its' aftermath was left sprawling in a tangle of broken limbs and twisted branches. I never would have thought this particular tree was so brittle inside but the storm is what highlighted the issue.

The analogy may be applied to people and the "storms" of life we each face on a regular and consistent basis. Storms I daresay bring out your character, at least I know they bring out mine. But will the next storm be the one to break you, or make you stronger? Will the next one be your downfall, one in which a friend says, "I never knew they were so brittle." Unfortunately, storms aren't going away anytime soon. They are the tools God may use to test our mettle and see where we turn in times of need. The presence of a storm does not equal an automatic fold however. This is enormously comforting as my point is not to cause fear or intimidation, but it is to challenge you regarding where you turn to before the storms and in the storms. Are you sticking close to Jesus? If so, He will give you the strength to wade out the storm. If not, well you know what to do...or ask me. 

Balance #lifelesson

A life without balance is headed for the cliff of disaster.

Sounds as if one of the greats made that comment about a simple piece of equipment in a children's playground. I mean who would have ever thought such deep life lessons could be gleaned from such a simple contraption? None of the greats did make that statement as I made it up. I believe the sentiment to be true. Without ever increasing balance, my life would skitter out of control very quickly. 

The longer I live the more I come to recognize one of the advantages, and curses of my heritage. I'm proud to be a Sandford, but I never realized until recently just how hard we work. This is certainly not meant to discredit other hard working individuals, but the frenetic pace with which I live my life even spins my head sometimes. I've had a couple of my graduate school classmates marvel at the many "balls" I'm juggling (work, school, pastoral ministry, new father-hood, graduate intern, husband, other). What they don't realize is, I don't think I have a very good balance in my life. Oh, I may be juggling those balls successfully, but when it comes to quality rather than quantity even that may be a challenge for me to evaluate. This is something I recognize and am seeking to address. It's part of the life-process of evaluating priorities, and then sticking to them.

 At the same time, I enjoy keeping busy. Now I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with keeping busy. What I would state is the motivation for why you are keeping busy may reveal more tell-tale signs than one might like to admit. Again, this is an area where I will need to cut-back as too often my "busyness" is a product of my desire to perform for others (dangerous path to tread).

This teeter-totter serves as a reminder of the balance I need in my own life. I was in Jerusalem, Israel when I took this picture and even then the lesson of balance was very much on my mind. Balance is so tricky, yet it is of the utmost importance! Without it I can so easily overextend myself, and then I'm not much use to anyone. What are some ways you try to balance areas in your own life?

Everlasting Arms #Valentinesday

I'm enjoying fatherhood immensely. Then again, when I say immensely I'm referring to the lessons God continues to reveal to me about Himself through being a father to Gwyneth. 

This evening as we put Gwyneth to bed she really was not interested in settling down on our time-table. She fussed and cried enough after being in bed for a while to warrant some additional attention. Being the gallant hero I am, I figured I should be the one to help settle her down. So off to her room I traipsed, pulled out the rocking chair from the wall, and plopped myself down into its' depths with my fussy daughter. Because I didn't feel particularly keen on singing to her tonight, I decided to flip through some music located on the nearby iPod. Gwyneth's all-time favorite song is "Raven" by Jewell but I would enjoy seeing her begin to expand her music tastes. Not only is "Raven" a nonsensical song, but there are only so many times you can play a song on repeat before losing your mind (parents' amen here!). 

After flipping through a couple of different options such as the main theme to Braveheart, and Gabriel's Oboe played by Yo-Yo Ma, I finally landed on the last three songs from the Lord of the Rings Return of the King soundtrack. I love soundtracks, as evidenced by my modest collection of over thirty of them. Gwyneth quieted down but then decided she was not going to be ready to fall asleep for a while yet. I kept rocking away, hoping she would become drowsy soon. I knew I may not have had to stay rocking GJ for as long as I did but I wanted to listen to those three songs in their entirety, and I'm glad I did. 

As "Into the West" by Annie Lennox began, I was overcome with emotion as I rocked my precious daughter. I thought, "Here I am rocking my precious girl to sleep, and this is exactly what God does with me when my world appears to be turning upside down. Just as my arms are encircling her, warding off the night, monsters, or any harm from this little life, so God is doing the exact same thing with things in my own life. I may not always see his arms around me, yet nevertheless they never leave me alone." I could not stop the tears from welling up and washing away the false sense of security I tend to permit to creep around my soul. This is not the first time this realization has struck me. I may kick, scream, and struggle as the challenges of life are hurled at me but the arms of God never ever leave me alone. 

I'm not sure where you currently are in your life circumstances this day after Valentine's day. Perhaps you're desperately longing for the love and affection you've convinced yourself can only be found in a relationship with someone else. Perhaps you're in a relationship with someone, but you still feel lonely. Perhaps...(you fill in the blank). I've been where some of you are today. Believe me, I get it. What I forgot to see both then and now, are the faithful everlasting arms of a God who will never leave me alone. He will never leave you alone, in fact He is always with you! Take comfort in this reality regardless of your relationship status.

His arms never left me and His arms will never leave you.