our time is short, and we’ve got a lot to do…

My former student, mentioned in my previous blog, asked me recently if I was married yet.  When I told him I am not, this 14 year old boy proceeded to flip out on me.  A very humorous conversation followed… filled with much advice and many exclamation points!!!!!!  (Gotta love his enthusiasm!)  His opinion is that it is “time to settle down and have a family!”  He advised me, “Teacher!  It’s simple.  Go places.  Meet nice boys and then marry one!”  … Wow!  That IS simple!!!!  I can’t believe I missed that memo! 

Well… if I ever do go some place, meet a nice boy, and marry him… I would love to have a family like the Whitakers.  I read both his and her blogs regularly.  I don’t know them personally… but I’ve met them and we have a lot of mutual friends, so I can vouch for their authenticity.  A while back Carlos posted a blog that I’ve thought about many times since.  This is the kind of family I dream of having someday.

Many of you have already gone somewhere, met a nice boy (or girl), and married them… and you’re having babies and buying houses… and I’m so proud of you!  I share this with you as an encouragement, and a challenge… to remember what it’s all about.  Because, Carlos is right… our time is short, and we have a lot to do!  Now, build an army my friends…

This is my family.
When I look at this picture I feel all sorts of things.
I feel love, joy, peace, excited, infatuated, blessed, hopeful, and thankful.
I also feel stress, worry, pressure, dependence, hopeless, and like a loser.
They deserve someone leading them that knows what the crap they are doing.
A dad that looks like Brad Pitt, has the heart of Mother Teresa, the wisdom of Billy Graham and the strength of Craig Groshel.
The last one would have been a joke until I saw his guns at Catalyst West.
They deserve so much more than me.
Then I whimper to the mirror and look square in my eyes.
HE has called me to not only lead my family but to propel them into a lifestyle of Christianity that this world has not seen since the days of Christ.
One that looks far different then the one we live out today.
A radical one.
An unsafe one.
One that makes most Christians feel uncomfortable.
One that makes me feel uncomfortable.
But without that small voice screaming that into my head I might actually believe the nuclear family with a house, dog, white picket fence was the end.  And that I suck for not providing that.
I live in a rental house with a whole floor empty of furniture.
But it’s not about that.
If that is what you’ve got then great. But that should only be the wall hiding the army that you are building.
The army of children that will actually help His Kingdom come.
Remember that our lives are but a vapor.
The blessings he has blessed us with will be gone tomorrow.
We have a short time to equip the Saints.
So turn off Sports Center tonight and go look in the mirror.
Remind yourself that our time here is short.

And we have a lot to do.