Tag Archives: savior

Looking for Pearls

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I’m writing this while on my return flight from Seattle after attending the National League of Cities – Conference of Cities for the last four days. I am on the steering committee for the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee. We are charged with creating League policies and resolutions that move the issues of public safety on a national level and to congress. As we see too often, nothing is being done in Washington DC these days, so our work lately seems to for our own exercise. However, the rest of the conference was filled with information about emerging technologies to help cities progress, financial strategies designed to help cities emerge from the recession, transportation strategies and recreation program ideas. You could find something to learn about no matter what challenge your city faces or what your area of interest is in. Frustration aimed at the federal government was high; they are having an big impact on what happens at the local level. The final speaker however reminded us that it is local government where the work actually gets done. When people have a problem or need something, they don’t call their Senator, they call their Mayor and City Council. It took four days to get to that moment but it made the whole trip worth the time and expense. Of course, he said much more about our responsibility as local leaders and the impacts that we make on people’s lives; it was something that I needed to be reminded of. Every one of us has an impact on people in different ways, every day of our lives. I’m sure this was not the first time he made this presentation but today, he became my pearl; the one thing worth trading it all in for. You’ll never know when something you do or say will become someone else’s pearl. Take care of each other.

45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”  Matthew 13:45-46

I’ve been told that when searching for fine pearls, you will look through dozens before finding the one that is just right. People are like pearls, you can search dozens people but when you find one that is just right, you bring it into your life. One of those pearls you might marry and others will become your dearest friends. Think about what you traded in (sold) when you found that great one. In your life, you come across hundreds of people but you only have a few friends and even fewer close friends. God has looked at billions of people and still loves them all. The kingdom of heaven wants only the finest of the pearls. God gave us the laws to follow to become sin free. We remained blemished pearls because we are not able to follow the laws perfectly. God “sold everything” by sending His Son to pay for our sins so that we can have eternal life. We became God’s fine pearls that He bought from the slavery of sin. As John 3:16 said “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Today, I realized that we are precious pearls to God, we have sought the pearls in our lives and we can become pearls in other people’s lives. It’s amazing how God worked all of this in the final minutes of a four-day conference.

Trouble ahead

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The faster we dig, farther behind we get. Have you heard that phrase before? How about: trying to let the water out of a boat by putting another hole in the bottom? These are some “old school” phrases used to describe being overwhelmed. This past week I encountered two aspects of being overwhelmed – too much work and too much emotion. I have a former co-worker who found out this week that he needs a substantial spinal fusion surgery as a result of an on-the-job injury he suffered about 6 years ago. He’s been suffering along but finally sought the help he needed. It will end his career; earlier than he expected or planned for. He was overwhelmed with questions about his financial future, his future from a physical ability perspective and his future to provide for his family. Knowing that I went through the same procedure and anguish just over five years ago, he called looking for advice and support. The other encounter I had this week was in my own life – too much work. I started a Masters Degree program in Public Administration this week. I never thought that I’d do it much less try to do it in an on-line format. The first day was a little rough trying to navigate the website, looking for the assignments, posting my comments in the forums and planning for the new due dates. I was a little overwhelmed. As usual, I worked through it and think I have a plan to get it all done while continuing to “work” the various projects that I’m involved in. I know that for my situation, I have been preparing, over a period of time, to handle these types of workloads. I will figure it out; I always seem to. My friend will figure it out too. He will get through the initial shock; he’ll look at what it all means for him and his family and will figure it out. We always seem to make it work and in the end we are stronger because we overcame the circumstances. When we seek the help of others and look at the situation from a step or two away, we see it with a little more clarity.

“…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

The verse from John is a quote from Jesus telling us that we WILL have trouble. There was no sugar coating it, no “technically correct” answer or avoidance; Jesus tells us straight – you will have trouble. God never promised us a trouble free life. Look at the Old Testament, the People of God had plenty of trouble. Even Jesus faced trouble in His life on earth. The old saying is that you can count on two things in life – death and taxes. I would argue that we count on a third thing – trouble. We know that God does not give us more than we can handle and we also know that God has a plan for us. We may experience the trouble we have in our lives so that we can be a witness for others, maybe it’s to strengthen us for the future, maybe it’s simply to prepare us to help others in need. Whatever the reason, and we will never know what it is; we can handle it. Jesus tells us to take heart! He overcame the troubles of the world by defeating Satan, and sin. Jesus took it all upon Himself in death but delivered us from the chains of sin when He rose from the dead to take His place at God’s right hand. Sure, we’ll have trouble but we know that through God’s grace and our faith in Jesus, we will not suffer but have eternal life. Just thinking about it makes me overwhelmed but this time, it’s with joy!