by Andy Wood on March 3, 2010
Riley and Rusty and a Closed Door
It all started a few weeks ago when I noticed something about Gracie, my dog wannabe. As the house queen in her own eyes, Gracie likes to keep her options open. In other words, she can’t stand closed doors. Any closed door. It’s not so much that she wants or needs what’s on the other side. She just likes having options.
And so do I.
I love opportunities and the capacity to dream. And get frustrated when a door closes in my face, or somewhere else.
All that led to a half-baked observation a couple of weeks ago: “Even my dog hates closed doors.”
And that led to a well-thought-out meditation from my sister Debbie Hughes about dogs, doors, and why and how we (people, that is) experience them.
So if you’ve had your share of frustrations or disappointments, keep reading… this is from her, for you: [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on January 30, 2010
A rewrite of an old (and probably true, since I heard a preacher tell it) story…
What do you do when you know God’s call on your life is vocational evangelism, and your wife dies, leaving you with two sons, ages 8 and 10? Will Martin decided to seek out a way jto be both Dad and faithful evangelist. He rearranged his schedule to make sure he was never gone more than four days at a time, and made arrangements for a highly-trusted caretaker. And he made himself a promise: whenever he’d been away overnight, he would always bring his sons a special gift.
Then came the day that Will was wheels-up on the plane and it dawned on him: he’d forgotten to pick up something for his boys. So Will conceived a plan.
The boys were so ready to see their dad, and so excited to get inside his suitcase.
“Don’t even bother, guys,” Dad said. “There’s nothing in there. This one’s special. [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on November 18, 2009
(Tense Truth: The perfect truth of the gospel was placed into the hands of a group of people whose lives were a complete mess. Jesus knew this, but commissioned them anyway.)
Picture the scene in that upper room on the day of the Resurrection. Rumors and testimonies are flying! A strange mixture of fear, joy, and disbelief. Suddenly, according to John’s account, the Lord Jesus appears and says, “Peace to you; as the Father has sent me, so I’m sending you” (John 20:21).
Hello and head out! Victory and a vision. A Conqueror with a commission. And now these disciples would duplicate on earth what was first transacted in heaven. “The Father sent me. In the same way, I am sending you.”
But wait a minute. Before we glory in our visions of Pentecost, it would do us good to remember who it was the Lord was talking to. So send I . . . WHO? [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on October 27, 2009
Vision hurts.
Don’t believe me? Try dreaming about something that is exciting and important to you, only to be disappointed. But the alternative to vision isn’t much better. Instead of dreaming, you could play it safe. Be complacent. Wish for nothing and hit it every time.
Doesn’t sound like much of a choice, does it? Heartache or boredom. Tightrope with no net or treadmill with no hope. How do you make peace with your dreams? How do you keep from hating the whole process? How can you avoid “optiphobia” – the fear of vision?
Start with a little perspective. [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on October 5, 2009
It’s time to dream again.
And in doing so, I will not content myself with yesterday’s progress.
I have seen my share of victories; I’ve won some battles, and maybe even a war or two.
But there are new victories to be won, and yesterday’s dreams will never achieve them.
When my greatest challenges are boredom and fatigue, I will rest in the womb of a new vision, and call forth even greater measures of faith and courage.
It’s time to dream again.
And in doing so, I will see beyond the road blocks and crashes. [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on June 10, 2009
It’s the ultimate test, and I’ve blown it. Often. Thank God He’s let me live to go one more round or two, maybe to get it right next time.
In a world awash with the expectation of push-button success and results, what do you do when you’ve done everything you know to do, and you still haven’t seen what you expect – what you long for and expect to see? [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on May 14, 2009
(The Four Faces of Disappointment – Part 2)
I’m not asking for much. I just want all my expectations fulfilled, and a complete removal of all limitations.
Of course… then I wouldn’t need God. Then I’d BE God.
Disappointments are a startling, sometimes rude reminder that the job of God of the Universe has already been filled.
Yesterday I mentioned that in my own experiences of painful disappointment, like the experience of the children of Israel, four “faces” of disappointment have emerged. The first two were delays and distressing people. But I have found two other ways that God deliberately allows us to “feel the burn.”
3. Dead Ends
These have to do with measurable limitations – things like life expectancy, dollars, and distance. Dead ends often lead us to question God’s integrity, because He seems to be contradicting Himself.
It’s like one man said, “I thought becoming a Christian was the end of all my troubles.” It is – the front end!
Examples of dead ends are everywhere: [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on May 13, 2009
So have you had any disappointments?
That’s what an old friend asked me last week.
We hadn’t talked much in the last five years, and were in catch-up mode over lunch. Because of the really good things happening at our church lately, I had gushed a lot about how great things are. Then he caught me flat-footed with that question, and I gave him my best deer-in-the headlights gaze.
The answer was obvious, but I had to think a bit before I could actually name any. I finally regained my wits and offered a random list of times when Church World had punched me in the gut. But they were nothing, I hastened to say, compared to the joy and gratitude we were experiencing these days.
In thinking a bit more about the experiences I’d shared, I realized with stunning 20/20 hindsight that my disappointments weren’t all that random after all. [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on March 9, 2009
It all started with an idea in the mind of a four-year-old. Cassie certainly wasn’t the first kid to set up shop as a lemonade business. But she’d read about it or seen it on some cartoon or something, and she was inspired.
We were living in Birmingham. Corner lot, pretty busy street. But that didn’t deter Miss Entrepreneur and her twin sister. They were out to make some money, and had just been given a sure-fire way to do it.
What do you say to a born dreamer, with stars in her eyes, and a plan for making her dreams come true?
“Okay.”
You say, “Okay.”
That’s what Mamma said, and she went about helping the twins prepare for their first business venture. There was a table to set up, a sign to make, and, of course, a pitcher of lemonade and cooler of ice to prepare.
And there were the pigtails. I’ll never forget the pigtails. [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on December 3, 2008
This just in… modern newlyweds are increasingly dealing with “the bridal blues.” Doctors report that the expectations of newlyweds are so high, and married life such a letdown after all the planning and excitement of the big day, that an increasing number of brides are suffering post-nuptial depression. The feelgood factor fades so fast that up to 10 per cent of couples suffer enough remorse, sadness or frustration to seek counseling.
Wow. You mean it wasn’t whispy clouds and fairy dust as you lived happily ever after? And Franck Eggelhoffer isn’t there to plan the details of your marriage like he did your wedding? And Daddy’s not there to pay your bills? And sex doesn’t cure everything, or come with an orchestra in your bedroom? And to add insult to injury, you find yourself married to a sometimes-sweaty, stinky boy, who leaves socks and underwear on the floor? Or to a woman, who – get this – ain’t yo’ mamma, your maid, or your madame? She’s no Cinderella, and you’re not exactly Prince Charming.
Those expectations take you for a ride sometimes, don’t they?
Dr. Terry Eagan has a name for post-wedding depression. He calls it the secret sadness. Why? Because the women who suffer from it are often too embarrassed to tell anybody. And men simply bottle up their feelings.
The Secret Sadness is real. And it isn’t limited to newlyweds. [click to continue…]
