Joel Stiff's Adventure

When we consider our problems, we look for someone or something to blame.

Circumstances, bad timing, bad “luck”, enemies, difficult people.

The trouble is that finding a place to put blame still does nothing to solve the problem.

Even if blame can properly be placed on someone or something, the problem still exists.

So in the end, it is up to us to fix the problem.

And if we fail to fix the problem, we have just found the real problem.

John Maxwell put it this way, “Coping with difficult people is always a problem, especially if the difficult person happens to be you.”

None of us likes to be told what to do.

If it’s our idea, we will bend over backwards to do it, but if you tell me to do it, you can drop dead.

This was the wisdom in Jesus’ teaching to go the second mile.

If a Roman soldier approached a citizen and requested help carrying his pack, the citizen was obligated to carry it a maximum of one mile.

As you can imagine, most soldiers would take full advantage of the mile.

As you can also imagine, most citizens only did this begrudgingly.

At the one mile mark, the pack would be abruptly dropped and the citizen could go about his or her day.

Jesus took this daily dilemma and used it to teach the citizenry how to find freedom in obligation.

When we do only what we are obligate to do, we tend to begrudge the requirement.

But if we are allowed to serve to our hearts desire, we find freedom.

I may have to carry your pack one mile, but every step I take after that one mile is a step I take by choice.

Now, you aren’t making me do anything, I am serving by choice.

We were all together with the family at my brother in law and sister in law’s house.

It was dark and creepy in the country.

We offered $5 to the first kid who would run to the mailbox, touch it and return.

It took about twenty minutes before any of them accomplished it.

They were literally falling at our feet and clinging to our legs on the porch.

They were terrified of what might get them out there – the boogeyman.

Don’t laugh. We all have the fear of the boogeyman in our hearts.

Not some fictitious character, per se. But rather the fear of something that doesn’t exist. Irrational fear.

When Jesus was walking to the boat in the middle of the night on the water, the disciples said He was a ghost. The only problem is that there are no such thing as ghosts.

Most of our fear involves problems, troubles and hurdles that do not exist.

So, go ahead and do that thing that you’re afraid to do.

You’re going to be ok.

There is no boogeyman.

I am a child of the 80’s.

As best I can tell, mine was the last generation that had children who were still mostly free.

Free to ride our bikes all over town.

Free to leave home in the morning, spend all day bouncing from friend’s house to friend’s house, and be home by the time the street lights came on.

Football in the street, basketball in the driveway and tennis at Potter school.

Little league in the summer, cub scouts and boy scouts.

Drinking Kool-aid by the pitcher, climbing trees and going to Ideal Pharmacy to buy stickers for our baseball sticker book.

Hollering out the window to Robert Rose when the top five at five came on.

Hearing the man who drove the vegetable bus over his loudspeaker and making fun of the way he’d say, “tamatah”.

Hearing the ice cream boy ring the bells of his cart and buying a massive bomb pop.

Drinking Hires root beer and M&S soda.

Jumping my bike on a ramp made from a cinder block and a 2 x 6.

Pushing my dad’s lawn mower and his aluminum gas can down the street cutting yards for $5 each.

Being the human remote control for our tv.

LOAD”spyhunter”,8,1

Parachute pants, members only jackets and fila’s.

Good times.

These are the three most unhappy people in the world.

The happiest are those who serve others.

There is no greater joy than knowing you were able to help lighten someone else’s load.

I often fret because I do not have the resources to help people in big ways.

I do, though, have the ability to help many in small ways.

That makes me happy.

I need God.

I need Him active in every facet of my life.

I need Him for my heart, my spirit, my attitude.

I need Him for my marriage and my children.

I need Him for my work and ministry.

There is no one else who can replace Him in my life.

He wants me to love Him and live for Him.

He desires that I serve Him.

If I choose not to, He is able to accomplish His will without my participation.

I need God far more than He needs me.

Is the long haul gone?

I mean people staying married for fifty years.

Pastors staying at churches for forty years.

People living in the same home for sixty years.

Families driving cars until the wheels fall off.

Guys carrying the same pocket knife for thirty years.

I’ve been wearing the same baseball cap for fifteen years.

Does America still produce quality goods that last decades?

Can a friendship still last a lifetime?

It’s late.

Spent some time with a friend.

Didn’t know he was a friend until tonight.

A three hour conversation sharpened me.

Do my friends sharpen me or dull me?

Contentedness is a tricky thing.

It likes to elude us.

The world is full of wonderful experiences and shiny things and we want as much of it as we can get our grubby little hands on.

The reality is that we are successful in obtaining most of what we want.

But it’s not enough. We want more.

I heard one man say, “Everything is amazing and nobody is happy.”

It’s true. We live in the most amazing time of any, yet we aren’t happy.

This unhappiness stems from ingratitude for that which we have and a constant desire for more.

But isn’t it good enough? Isn’t what you already have good enough?

Isn’t your home good enough or do you need another?

Isn’t your car good enough or do you need a bigger one, a faster one or a red one?

Isn’t your husband good enough?

Aren’t your kids good enough?

Isn’t your church good enough?

Isn’t your pastor good enough?

Isn’t your income high enough?

Isn’t your family enough?

What is it going to take to make you finally happy?

Are you sure that once you get it that you won’t want something else after that?

The eyes of man are never satisfied.

Some things in life are major. They are a big deal.

Other things are minor. They are not as big a deal.

Some people focus on the minors. We must get all of the minors right.

I find that people who focus so much on the minors, fail hard when it comes to the majors.

While those who focus on the majors, usually do just fine even though not every minor has been up to other’s expectations.

Get the big things right.