Driving Into the Fog

 

Although this Thanksgiving was a great deal smaller in terms of family members in attendance, we were able to give thanks for all we have been given and all we have to be thankful for. One of those blessings is our little angel Ivy, who was able to join us for the holiday down from Virginia. The hardest part of her coming to visit is having to say goodbye until the next time she gets down this way. The physical challenge of Ivy's visits is the drive up Interstate 81 to the Lynchburg area and the immediate turn around return trip, basically a nine-hour drive. Believe me it is worth every second of the drive! 

Our normal routine for the return trip is to get up super early and arrive at our meeting spot before noon. Well this particular trip was a little different than others we have made over the past ten years’ compliments of a heavy fog advisory alert I received on my phone Friday morning. Normally, the early morning drive is coupled with a beautiful sunrise which is a joy to view as it illuminates the morning sky, although that same sunrise also creates somewhat of a driving hazard as the sun glares directly into driver's eyes as you barrel east up the interstate.  That was not to be the case on this particular drive. 

About the time I crossed the Tennessee/Virginia border patches of fog had settled among the peaks and valleys of the farms, rivers, hills and valleys. I also noticed that the normal morning sun hazard was suddenly not a driving hazard. I thought to myself, "Well this fog issue might actually work out to my benefit, I may not have to deal with the sunlight in my face." That thought dissipated much quicker than the fog as I drove deeper into what eventually became a thick grayish, blanket enveloping the whole landscape. My driving speeds dramatically slowed and I honestly could not see twenty feet in front of my car. It did not take very long to realize I was in a very precarious predicament. What I had thought was going to be a relief from the morning sun in my eyes, turned into a dark cloud that hindered my vision and created extremely dangerous conditions for driving and the safety of my precious granddaughter. Fortunately, on this particular day the fog lifted soon thereafter and we were able to resume our trip unhindered by the dense fog, nor the morning sun angled directly in my line of vision. 

As the danger subsided my thoughts as they normally do began to wander around a bit, and as in many cases, today's Flat Tire Ministries Thought was berthed. The dread of the sun beaming in my vision path led me to believe that the fog which hid the sun's light was going to be a positive, but as I drove deeper into the fog my vision became impaired to the point that I literally couldn't see at all. What I thought was an answer to my original problem quickly became a far greater problem with dire consequences immersed in the morning blanket of fog. That's how life and the decisions we make are so many times. We take things into our own hands and believe we are capable of solving problems all on our own. What starts out as taking prescription medicines for the pain associated with a painful surgery recovery is acceptable, allowing those pain pills to become an addiction that destroys your life is a masked danger that lurks around much like the blanket of fog I encountered. Sharing your marital struggles with a co-worker is okay on the surface, yet the potential extra marital affair may loom right around the bend in the road, or financial matters that start out as "just this one time" can land one into a future of embezzlement or fraud. You can see how the foggy conditions of our choices can become dire as fast as my vision was blanketed by that morning mist. The biggest danger we are confronted with is the risk of driving through life without a relationship of faith in our God. 

It is possible to drive through life without a relationship with God (not advisable). Inconveniences rise up and we make adjustments like lowering a sun visor which can provide relief from the problem, but does not remove the problem. We drive into the fog thinking we are getting relief from what is hindering us, only to find that we are now completely engulfed in darkness and our sight has been completely obstructed. We then are driving around blindly, hoping we are in the right lane and that there are no dangerous obstacles in our paths ahead. We need the sun. Just like we need the Son. Leaning on, learning from, and standing with God allows us to see even when the fog of life's problems rise up around us. Will our problems dissipate like the fog did on me the other day? Not necessarily, but knowing that you are driving through life with God inside you and all around you gives you a sense of comfort that nothing else in life can do. Even when I am facing the fog of adversity in my life, I am confident and assured that the illumination of God's love will enlighten my path and protect me along this journey. "We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!" I Corinthians 13:12 (The Message Bible) We do not have to remain lost in the fog, God is the light that lifts the fog and clears our path, find God and stay His course. 

Coach Carter

 

Tested by Fire

 The key step in purifying raw silver is the smelting process, which removes the impurities of the silver under the extremely high temperatures of a forged fire. As the heat intensifies the "cream" kinda of rises to the top you might say. This intense heat for our purposes today can be defined as adversity or affliction. We are just like silver, in our raw state we are full of impurity, yet if we are able to "stand the heat" instead of getting out of the kitchen, the end result is a valuable servant capable of withstanding the fire of life's trials and tribulations. 

Psalm 66:10 is an acknowledgement of this process and a statement of gratitude in the presence of adversity, "You have tested us, oh God; You have purified us like silver melted in a crucible." The current state of this pandemic could very well be the fire that was meant to test you, and through the challenges and uncertainty you are being forged into something that wasn't there before. God takes what we see as being a negative and uses it to build us up to where we are better able to do His work. The key is we must be willing to grow through the process and that is where we find the crux of the matter. 

We all want life to go along smoothly and our schedules to be exactly what we planned them out to be as each day unfolds. Wouldn't life be nice if it were so? My response is a direct "NO". Although it is easy when life is going smoothly, I would not have started writing Flat Tire Ministries if it had not been for the excessive number of literal and figurative flat tires I experienced a few years ago. Through those experiences, and life was not easy then, I grew, I was purified in a sense. The weaknesses in my life that caused me to rely on self instead of God had to be removed. My self-reliance and my self-centered view of how life was impacting me personally had to be purified to a place where I released adversity is a tool and the growth I experience through that adversity allows me to serve others over self.  Moreover, I relish in those moments because I am assured that I am not facing life's storms and disappointments alone. God is with me. “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction”. Isaiah 48:10

Being tested by fire comes in such a wide array of life experiences relationships, finances, health issues, physical attacks or abuse, setbacks, set ups, knock downs, and kicked arounds all qualify as fires that can be a valuable part of our lives if only we can pluck out the opportunity from the adversity, and then purify it into a silver aspect of who we are. Does it feel good? I don't even need to answer that one, of course not. Do you think a little baby attempting to walk says "Wow that really feels good when I fall down and bust my chin on the floor"? Yet if that baby doesn't get back up armed with the experience and understanding of what made her fall the last time she may never learn to walk, which leads to skipping, which leads to running, jumping, and eventually standing still giving thanks for the ability to walk where He leads us to go! Praise God not for the adversity, but for the growth that we can experience through the fire if only we will allow it to purify us for His purpose. "... And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:2-5 

You were created for such a time as this. That doesn't mean that you will thrive through whatever "fire" you are facing today. That my friend is your choice. You may choose to wallow in it, make excuses through it, or just lay down and hope to endure it, but I won't do that. The purifying of who I am has taught me that only when the fire gets hot, does the growth occur. Do I enjoy the flames of adversity? No. Do I understand that God won't give me more than I can stand and through any adversity or affliction that comes my way God will be there with me? ( I Corinthians 10:13) Yes, and that is the difference. If you are reading this thinking "Yeah right, you just don't know what I'm going through, if you were dealing with what I'm dealing with you wouldn't be so sure about this whole idea of growth through suffering." And you would be correct I don't know your personal circumstances, but you may not know what your neighbor has endured and has grown through just the same. It is your choice to grow through and purify your mind, soul, and body by way of the fires of life. Earlier, I mentioned the word resilience. Just the other day I was listening to a podcast about success and it was stated that one of the most predictable qualities of someone's level of success is resilience. Being able to get back up again, learn from our mistakes, and then push forward helping others to get back up again is exactly what resilience is all about. Use the fires of today to create the silver inside you for tomorrow!

Coach Carter

 

Veteran's Day Recognizing Sacrifice

 

This week we recognized those that have given of themselves to serve our country and defend/protect the freedoms that we enjoy as citizens of the greatest country on earth, the United States of America. As I thought about the sacrifices of our veterans and those that are serving in the military today, I had to stop for a moment and think about how relevant the term sacrifice is for all Americans and really everyone around the world as we battle the Coronavirus. I can rest assured that the sacrifices that we are making in our daily lives do not equal or even come close in comparison to the sacrifices made by our military veterans, so I would like to spend just a moment today, giving us all something to think about before we blurt out again that we are making grand sacrifices in the pandemic war that is being waged around the earth.

Call it WWIII if you like, but please don't compare it to the two previous World Wars. Talk about the things you are having to endure like avoiding large social gatherings, having to eat take out instead of dining in, or maybe even the most controversial sacrifice being asked of all Americans to wear facial coverings, but please think about your use of the word sacrifice and stop. The World Wars, Vietnam, the Korean War, and the extended years of war and conflict in the Middle East have impacted the lives of thousands and hundreds of thousands of young men and women across this great country we call home. In most cases these heroes made the voluntary choice to serve their country, in some cases our government volunteered young men to serve by means of the draft. Regardless of the means by which they ended up serving I feel pretty confident saying they endured so much more than we will ever be asked to "sacrifice" during our battle with this virus. 

In no way, a comparison worthy to be made, but during the Vietnam War nearly 60,000 American soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice of laying down their life for their country. In less than one year the COVID-19 virus has taken the lives of well over 200,000 Americans and counting. I was a young preteen during the Vietnam era, but being a history major and just knowing the history of that time period, it would be fair to say there was some controversy surrounding our reason for being in that region of the world. The loss of life that our country sacrificed in that war, not to mention the number of lives that have long been impacted by what these patriots endured in that war, should make most of us red faced in shame for talking about the discomfort of wearing a mask to "possibly" protect the life of another person that might be at risk more than yourself. I won't even go into all the "sacrifices" you and I are making in this war that we are fighting today because they are not sacrifices. More like inconveniences than anything remotely similar to a true sacrifice. Those serving our country in the medical and educational fields are making sacrifices by exposing themselves in our hospitals and schools placing their health on the line each moment that they are working, providing health care to a certain percentage of individuals that have stated they won't stay home and sacrifice going out to eat Friday night. Educators are faced with classrooms packed with students whose parents are not wearing a mask, because they are Americans and nobody is going to tell them that they have to wear a "diaper" on their face. Something to consider, if the men and women who we recognize on Veteran's Day and even more so those we remember on Memorial Day had said I'm not going to serve my country because it will mean I have to sacrifice some aspect of their life, or even considered the possibility that they might very well never return to American soil again where would the "land of the free" and "home of the brave" be found today? Shame on us, we are spoiled. Notice I'm not pointing fingers, I own this myself as well as each and every American should!

I could go on, but deep down inside, do I really need to go further? If you can't see that the small sacrifices you are being asked to make in the effort to fight an unknown enemy that we are finding out more about each day that passes, then this message probably still won't make a difference to you. But if you won't think about the sacrifice you are being asked in comparison to the men and women who have defended and are defending our country today, then maybe you will consider this last comparison. God sent His son to die for the very people that would eventually hang Jesus on a cross. Jesus knew that He was about to be tortured, shamed, and then murdered on a cross that he was nailed to, and the only thing He asked His father in Heaven was to "let this cup pass" if possible, but if not then "Thy will be done".  Matthew 26:39 As Jesus was taking His last breath He cried out to His father, "Forgive them for they know not what they do" Luke 23:34. Love is sacrificial. Not love of self, love for those that you disagree with, love for those you serve, love for thy neighbor, and love for all mankind over love of self. The Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" Matthew 7:12, certainly does apply here. God gave His son knowing what the outcome was going to be. Jesus willingly went to the cross to die for YOUR sins today. Jesus died for all the sins I have committed against Him and He did so without a question about what that sacrifice was going to be for himself. 

If I complain about my french fries being cold because I am unable to eat inside a restaurant, if I dare refuse to wear a mask in public because "I don't want to and I don't have to", or even if I deny the reality of a virus that has ravaged the world and continues to be a war that we have not yet won, I certainly hope that I won't deny that the men and women who have fought, and in many instances given their life for me sacrificed so much more than I will probably ever be asked to sacrifice. I pray that as we place men and women, boys and girls, health care personnel, educators, cashiers, waiters, and all other public servants at risk because we don't want to be inconvenienced, we will stop and consider the sacrifice our Lord and Savior made for each of us and then think about what our "sacrifices" are in comparison. 

May God Bless America, I for one do not deserve His mercy nor His grace!

Coach Carter

Your Children's Children

 

When people used to tell me that if they would have known how wonderful it is to have grandchildren they would have had them first, I would chuckle a bit, but that was about as far as my mind would go. Now that I have grandchildren, I know exactly what they meant. It is amazing! Love my granddaughters. As a grandparent, I will have a certain amount of influence in their lives, yet at the end of the day it will be their mother and father that will have the biggest impact on their young lives. So, does that mean I'm off the hook? Unfortunately, I'm directly on the hook because the life I lived with my own children and the influence I had on them is going to have a direct impact on the way they raise their children. Solomon wrote about this very topic in Proverbs 17:6 with this declaration laced with a cryptic warning, "Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children is their fathers." If you are a parent, may be a parent down the line, or even for us that have the pleasure of being a grandparent today's FTM is for you.

Let's set a little mental image really quick before we go any further. You know that feeling you get when you are watching a movie and there is a person holding on to the outreached hand of someone else that just happens to be dangling over a deep, dark drop into oblivion, and then suddenly loses that grip and the person begins a descent becoming fainter, and fainter as they fall? Okay, well keep that image in mind as you think about what happens as your children reach adulthood and they move on to start their own family. When your sons and daughters are little you feel like you have all the time in the world to pour into their lives, yet the truth of the matter is "time" actually does fly. Toddlers become teens, teens become young adults, and as we lose that grip on their hands all of a sudden, our little babies are expecting their first born. This isn't meant to be a downer, I promise. That is just the circle of life, but what we do with that precious time we have with our children is what makes that circle of life continue to go around and round and not upside down!

How are you investing in your children's lives? Do you provide an example about how to treat other people by the way you are treating people? How do they see you display empathy? What do they see in you that shows them that we are all created equal? What does fair look like in your home? What do your children know about faith? Is it something you do on Sunday and then just like your Bible, it is placed on the shelf until next Sunday? Promise I'm not judging you, if anything I am convicting self. As a parent looking back in the rear-view mirror of life, boy there's a laundry list a mile long of things I would have done differently. Can't go back, but you can move forward. That's my saving grace, but maybe you don't have to rectify the past like me, maybe you've got the chance right now because your children are still children at home under your direct influence. That is something to give thanks for every day if you can turn the corner and make a difference today in the lives of your grandchildren down the road. 

You see, the training we do with our children is going to have an impact on their lives obviously. What we don't always think about is that the way we raise our children will have a direct impact on the way they raise their children. Obvious again right? Maybe not. Remember that image of the guy falling that we painted in our minds earlier? Well think about your influence on the lives of your children and the children they will raise with that same image in mind. As your daily influence begins to fade, the lessons you taught or didn't teach, the values you showed or didn't show, the trust and faith that you lived out or ignored will all be aspects of your child's parenting skills on your grandchildren. As I pointed out earlier, your influence on your grandchildren is going to be limited and minimal at best, because as wise old Solomon pointed out "the glory of children is their fathers". So, once we watch our children in action we will either smile or cringe, because we have to own it either way. 

Now I have heard young people say, I'll never be like my dad/mom was when I was a kid, and I guess that is in a sense teaching your kids how "not" to raise your own children, but I don't think too many of us want that to be the driving force in our sons and daughter’s child rearing resources, "How to or How Not to...”. We are blessed and fortunate all rolled into one life that we are living, there is a handbook that we have access to, and we have examples to model after, and we have a Heavenly Father that is there to hold our hand and guide us as we make this journey through parenthood. This help is always available and always applicable. If you are a parent, going to be a parent, or have been a parent and now you are a grandparent God gives you an example to follow that directly speaks to every quality we would ultimately want to forge into the lives of our children. 

The goal is that we aren't sitting here as grandparents thinking "Why would my kids allow their kids to do whatever it is that they are doing?". Ultimately, we have to own that. The psalmist is clear in psalm 103:17-18, "But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments." Righteousness is choosing to live a just and moral life. Jesus was the true example of being righteous, and through his life we have a model by which we should be living and inadvertently pouring into the little eyes of those watching us. I am proud of my children, I pray that I didn't do too much damage in their lives due to the person I was when they were children, and my hope is that as I am still their father, they will see the difference God has made in my life since I gave Him my life, and they will follow my choice to follow God for the rest of my life on this earth!

Praying for all parents today!

Coach Carter

Loan Forgiveness

 Federal Student Loan Forgiveness, also known as public service loan forgiveness, or in my line of work may be commonly referred to as teacher loan forgiveness is a lifesaver for many young professionals. The idea is to "reward" those who work as public servants in areas of high need by "forgiving" their massive student loans after a certain number of years of service. Teaching in an impoverished school, or teaching in a hard to fill subject area such as math or science are examples of qualifiers for teacher loan forgiveness programs. By serving students and communities that have high needs, your college debt that was accrued obtaining the degree that allows you to teach can be forgiven. After reading a parable found in the Book of Luke, I'm convinced Jesus must have been in the financial loan forgiveness business himself. 

While spending the evening at a religious acquaintance's house Jesus was encountered by a remorseful woman wanting only to show her desire to be forgiven of her sins by Jesus. As she bowed down before the Son of God she wept and her tears enabled her to wash his feet. From there the woman dried His feet with her hair and then finally poured expensive, perfumed oil over his feet all the while asking Jesus to forgive her sins from her past. The host was annoyed and confused about Jesus allowing a sinful woman like this to be around Him. The man's thoughts were centered around how someone so holy could lower himself to the level of a person that was so well known for their sins and sinful lifestyle. At that point, Jesus laid the groundwork for today's Flat Tire Thought. 

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Luke 7:41-42. The man who questioned Jesus answered much in the same manner that we would, obviously the one with the greater debt would be more appreciative since his debt was higher. Cha Ching! Loan forgiveness 101. Jesus was in essence saying the deeper your sin debt is, the more willing He was to forgive if only you will trust in Him and serve Him with all you have. 

What a beautiful picture that paints. The poor, sinful woman had nothing but her tears, hair, and an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, plus a trunk load of past sins, but Jesus was eagerly prepared to stamp her loan forgiveness papers. Student loan forgiveness is offered when someone offers their service and skills to someone else that needs their service, and Jesus forgives us our sins because he wants our service and skills in service for Him. 

Today, we are forgiven. Not because we have earned it, but because we come to God and ask Him to forgive us. We serve God because He loves us and shows us that love through the sacrifice He made with His own Son, Jesus. If you know God, if you have asked Him to forgive your sin debt, then just as the woman in the parable, you are forgiven. If you humbly serve God through service to others your "loan forgiveness" has been marked paid in full and you are set free from the bondage of debt and sin. I pray that I will be more like the woman in the parable and not the man judging others because of their sin. My personal debt is marked "Paid in Full", seek the Father and your debt can be cleared and expunged from this life you are living. 

Coach Carter