"Whistle While You Work"

The Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" provides us with the title of today's blog, a catchy jingle jangle type song that the main character, Snow White, sang as she undertook the task of cleaning up the disastrously dirty house she came upon in the forest. I probably haven't watched that movie since I was a young lad, but that song has stuck in my head for decades, and I truly do believe there is a great deal of significance to the idea of "whistling while we work". Recently, I've been spending a great deal of my Bible study time focusing on work, and a common underlying theme seems to be the idea that our work should be an extension of our walk with God. If you attend church you most likely spend on average between two and five hours per week at the church building itself. We sing, we praise, we honor, and we worship God throughout the time we spend "at church", but what about the other 144 hours that are available to us from Monday through Saturday? We live out our relationship with God on Sunday's, but what about where we spend the majority of our waking hours?

 

It is estimated that most people will spend between 60 to 80 percent of their waking hours at work. Alarmingly, it is also estimated that close to 75% of surveyed workers say they are discontented with their work. So, if most people spend well over 50% of the time they are awake at work, yet 3 out of every 4 workers are unhappy at work, it would be reasonable to surmise that there ain't a lot of whistling going on in the workplace! Considering the numbers we started with about time spent at church or even adding in church related activities, we are looking at less than 5% of our waking hours. During "church" we sing out praises to God, we worship God through our prayers, and we grow in Him, by listening, sharing, and giving our full attention to God. But for today's purpose, my question is are you giving God that same spot of importance throughout the work week? 

 

Let's put this information into a perspective about how we approach our attitude toward work. We have established that our time at work and the time we spend at church are significantly different, with our "at work" time far outdistancing time at church. Add into that equation the data that says only about 30% of Americans attend church. Having that piece of information to add into the equation, where is it most likely that you and I will have an opportunity to show someone who God is and what following Him actually looks like? At work! That brings us back to the statistic that three out of 4 people say they are unhappy at work. I believe we can safely say that some of those 3 out of 4 would qualify themselves as followers of Christ, and if they are unhappy at work what image of God working in us is on display? The Hebrew word "avad" translates as "to serve" and is used in both the context of work and also in reference to your witness. If the terms "to work" and "to witness" are one in the same, should we not be a witness for God through the work we do each day? 

 

In Colossians 3:23, one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible, Paul encourages the church in Colossae with this charge, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters". I believe that term "whatever you do" is pretty encompassing and definitely includes our jobs and the work we do each day. Whatever we do, do it as if you are doing it for God and not just because it is your job. Paul goes on to say to give it all you got while you are working. If our work is a tremendous part of our waking hours, and if we are to witness through our work, would it not also stand to reason that we should be "whistling while we work"? 

 

I have been blessed to be the "1" in that 3 out of 4 statistic that loves the career field I have been blessed to give over 30 years of my life. Over the years I have literally caught myself whistling on my way in the door whether that door led to a classroom, the principal's office, or most recently the door to an office at the Board of Education. Is it that everyday has been filled with rose petals and gumball machines? No. Is it because I believe God has a purpose for each of us and I have been blessed to have the opportunity to impact lives through His will for this life God gave me to live? Most certainly. If you are not whistling while you work, could it be that you need a career change? Possibly. Is it more likely that you are looking at your work as just that, work? Possibly as well. Is it thinkable that if you were to build a personal relationship with your Creator and earnestly seek His will in the work you do each day you might begin to fill fulfilled? Absolutely. God first created the earth and everything in it, and then He created man to take care of it (Genesis 2:15). In other words, God created work, and then He created man to do the work. You are doing God's work each day, whatever it is you do, God has placed you in that setting for a purpose. Work earnestly, diligently, and with do your work with everything you got! (Colossians 3:23)

 

Allow God to work in you and through you. May the work you do be an extension of who you are in Christ. Whistle while you work!

 

Coach Carter

An "Act of God" Incident

Over the years I have made references to why this weekly message is titled Flat Tire Ministries, yet if you are new to the blog it is worth noting that over a period of two to three years of my life I experienced an unusually high number of flat tires. Non-coincidentally, during that same period of my life, I experienced a number of figurative "flat tires" that posed the potential for my family and I to be stuck on the curb of life's highway if I didn't get out of the life situation and fix the flat! I learned a great deal about resilience, grit, and perseverance through that period in my life, I developed character through adversity, and I grew immensely in the area of servant leadership as God taught me that my life is not about me. 

 

Interestingly, my wife and I have also been the recipients of a rather high number of busted windshields, each the victim of flying debris coming off the road and landing of all places right there in the middle of our windshield. I haven't researched it, but I would go out on a limb and say our five busted windshields ranks pretty high for families in the busted windshield arena. Nothing like our nearly 30 flat tires, yet more than the average family experiences through their comings and goings. So, if I figured out that God was using those flat tires to spur me forward in life, then using the same methodology leads me to believe God has a purpose for our busted windshields as well. Let's dig in to that analogy a little deeper. 

My guess is the majority of folks driving a vehicle on the highways and by-ways across the world have at one time or another had a rock, pebble, or some other debris bounce around on the road in front of you only to watch the last bounce land the object reflecting off your windshield. We possibly flinch, winch a bit, and then we survey our windshield to see if there is any damage that was not there literally a few seconds ago.  Fortunately, not every reflected ding off our windshields creates damage that must be repaired or replaced, but unfortunately many times we are faced with trailing spider legs of cracks, or direct impacts that actually shatter the area impacted forcing us to replace the windshield in our cars, trucks, or SUVs. If God uses flat tires to help us learn to persevere through adversity then surely He can use a busted windshield to teach us a valuable lesson for living life and living it more abundantly for Him!

 

Many times, the debris flying up off the road is birthed in a vehicle’s tire, chassis or attached trailer then hitting a little chug hole in the road releases the aforementioned rock, or other formidable loose debris causing it to bounce around the road until it lands on our forward driving glass window. On one personal occasion I happened to get the name of the company that owned the construction vehicle from whence the object was propelled. I searched out their business number and called to inform them that their truck had launched a missile of sorts into my windshield and wanted to request that they compensate me for the now shattered windshield. Much to my chagrin, the owner of the business on the other end of the phone informed me that I could contact his insurance company, but it wouldn't get me anywhere because that type of accident is considered an "Act of God". Basically, meaning that an accident such as a rock bouncing up off the road cannot be predicted or prevented so it is considered an "Act of God".  

 

How fitting, a busted windshield for the most part is considered an "Act of God". Proves my point, job done! But if our busted windshields are a metaphor for something in our life and God wants to use those broken windshields for His benefit, the question begs "What are we supposed to gain from a busted windshield?" For me the answer is clear, (more so than our current windshield), our windshield serves as the lens by which we see where we are going in life. If our windshield gets dirty from bugs and dirt we have to clean it so that we can see where we are going. If our windshield ends up busted as a result of debris flying up and decreasing our visibility then we have to get a repair done or possibly replace our windshield for a new view of where we are going. Our lives are the same way, many times we allow the dirt and debris to distort our visibility of what God has intended for our lives. At other times our life's windshield gets busted and where we thought we were intended to be going is delayed or at best distracted by debris such as relationship matters, work related issues, financial concerns, injuries, or any other type of life event that distorts our view of where God has purposed us to go in this life He gave us to live. 

 

One company that offers repairs or replacements for our vehicle's busted windshields is Safelite. Their mission statement is to "build trust and assure that their customer's experience fuels their company's road to greatness." In our figurative world of busted windshields God provides us with a "Safe Light" as well.  In John 8:12 Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Safelite can repair your car's damaged windshield so you can see where you are going, in the same way God is the light of this world, He can and will fix your busted and broken life and give you a new lens to see where He wants you to go and how He wants you to proceed moving forward. 

 

In closing, you don't hear of too many busted rear windows getting busted, in most part because we look in the rear window to see where we were and to learn from those experiences. God doesn't want us to live in our past, He wants us to live for Him by serving others and moving forward each day. Is your windshield of life cracked? Is your view of God's plan for your life being distorted by the dirt and debris? If so call on God to provide you with the repair you need! God will repair what is broken and He will make your way clear! Call on Him today.

Coach Carter

Left Out In the Dark

Have you ever heard of or used the idiom "left out in the dark"? Leaving someone in the dark basically means not including them in relevant and/or important information that the person probably needs. So, that raises the question, why was the dark chosen for this particular idiom? Obviously, when you are literally in the dark, it is nearly impossible to see what is in the room which increases the likelihood of someone bumping into something like a table, chair, or other object that may cause you to stump your toe, bruise your shin, or possibly trip you up for a fall. Being left out in the dark also conjures up images of someone being left outside among the elements of the night which we all pretty much associate with negative outcomes. Being outside after dark is when the creatures of the night howl and prowl, where robbers kill, steal, and destroy (see John 10:10), and when I as a little boy was told to come inside because it was "getting dark". 

 

When we talk about being "left out in the dark", we are saying that someone doesn't have the information they need to make an informed decision. In the Gospel of John 1:4-5 we are told that "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." In other words, darkness or the dark of night could not comprehend what the light was. If you think about it that kind of makes sense, when it is dark outside there is no light, the sun has set and darkness prevails. If you go into a room, close the doors, and turn off the lights it suddenly gets pitch black dark leaving the darkness with no idea of what light is or what it can do. Darkness cannot comprehend light simply because once light appears, darkness dissipates. Where light exists darkness is eliminated, and in that same mindset, where darkness prevails there is no understanding of what light is or what it can offer. 

 

If we apply this same way of thinking to our own lives, it stands to say that if we are living in the darkness of this world, then we have no understanding of the light that God provides. The scripture from John 1 tells us that the life Jesus came to share became like light to all that believe in Him and follow Him. Without God we stumble in and out of days, accumulating bumps and bruises and many times falling down without hope that we will ever get back on our feet. Accepting the light that God offers illuminates our life, internally and also externally as we share His light with others living in darkness. 

 

We can hide out in the basement to hide or ignore the light of day, we can hang dark curtains over our windows blocking out the sun and pretending that it is not there, but the light is there waiting on us to accept His eternal light of hope and life! The dark of night has no option but to yield to the morning light as the sun rises in the east, we have a choice that must be made. We can choose to live in complete darkness or we can accept God's offer of life everlasting and allow His light to shine in you and through you to a dark and needy world! 

 

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12

Coach Carter

 

Treadmills

 Travel was a pretty significant aspect of my job this past year working with the Tennessee Department of Education. Throughout my journeys one thing that I didn't want to slack on was my exercise regimen, so it was important to me whether the hotel I was going to be staying in had an exercise room. Running and walking have always been included in my daily exercise schedule, so treadmills are a must for any indoor exercise area. The neat thing about treadmills is how they have changed over the years in an attempt to provide a more realistic, lifelike experience in a stationary indoor setting. 

 

Regardless of how "life-like" a treadmill feels it will never replace the benefits of running or even walking out in nature. Hills and valleys provide real cardio challenges that build endurance and resilience as we conquer the summit and overcome the depth of the valley. Having a path or course to follow makes our running purposeful and allows us to pace ourselves as we progress and build stamina. Potholes, cracks, and other obstacles create the potential for injuries, but they also keep us alert and focused on what lies ahead. Overcoming those obstacles makes us a better runner, in life overcoming the obstacles we encounter has that same positive impact on our spiritual fitness. 

 

In a number of scriptural instances, running "life's race" is referenced. Hebrews 12:1 says, "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”, and Paul shares this encouraging message in I Corinthians 9:24-27 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." Once again, the Apostle Paul references running in his letters to his protege Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." I just don't think Paul would have ever been a treadmill kind of guy. Fighting the good fight, overcoming adversity, persevering through when it might feel like it would be easier to just quit and lay down, these are the areas we grow in as we run life's race. Standing still isn't an option, we grow as we endure, we produce character as we endure and overcome, and as our character is strengthened, our hope is fortified. And God's good news is this, hope does not fail us in life (See Romans 5:3-5).

 

Exercising on a treadmill is of course an option when it comes to physical fitness, but in life running through the ups and downs that we face each day is where we learn to lean in on God and allow Him to build our endurance through faith in Him. Run the course that God has prepared for you, the benefits are eternal!

 

Coach Carter

 

Toxic Positivity??

 

 Is there really something called toxic positivity? I was browsing through a news magazine in the waiting room of a doctor's office when I ran across an article warning of the dangers of becoming too positive, or what is labeled as “toxic positivity”. As timing would have it, about the time I started to read the article, I was interrupted by the call "Charles Carter" from the nurse standing at the entrance to the examination rooms. Although I went along with my well check visit and then hurriedly returned to my work schedule, that term "toxic positivity" kept circling around in my head. I vowed to research this phrase and see if I could find anything referencing what appeared to be an oxymoronical phrase at best. I asked myself, "How could being positive be a "toxic" experience?"

 

Over the next couple of weeks toxic positivity would creep into my head which served as a gentle nudge to Google the term and see what I could find. So here we are today, me in front of my laptop glaring at the Wikipedia definition of the concept of "toxic" positivity. "Toxic positivity is dysfunctional emotional management without the full acknowledgment of negative emotions, particularly anger and sadness." or in layman's terms, "a pressure to stay upbeat no matter how dire one's circumstance is". Seriously? I'm curious to whether Wikipedia and all the other "toxic" positivity naysayers out there have ever heard of two little words, hope and faith? 

 

Label me toxic if you like, but I believe the sun will come up each morning, rising in the east and setting in the west. My cup doesn't sit half empty, because as long as there is some level of fluid in my cup, it is nowhere near empty! And aligning myself with the teachings of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:28 assures me that "... all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Operative word in that verse, "all", not some things or just the good things, but ALL things work together for good, most importantly for those that are called according to God's purpose. I can grasp the understanding that those without hope may have a hard time understanding and accepting the truth that all things work together for good, yet I place my hope in my belief that God has a purpose for each life. That purpose may or may not work for the apparent good in that individual's life, but I hold strong to the word of God that "all" things will have an impact on the overall plans of God. 

 

In the face of tragedy and the immense grief that certainly accompanies traumatic events, it is hard not to ask "why" or "How is it possible?", and to ask someone to be positive in the face of any tragic loss is challenging. Ecclesiastes 3:4 assures us that there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance", certainly when tragedy hits crying and mourning will happen as they should. Yet this is also the place where our faith and our hope must be solid, this is where our hope is found in trusting that if we believe that God's word is true, then somehow, some way, God's plan will be fulfilled. Hard to do? Absolutely. Virtually impossible to do without faith which produces hope? Once again, absolutely. 

 

I can't explain why bad things happen to good people. I can't point out how "all things work together for good" when I see the tragedies that devastate lives. We will not be happy, content, or satisfied when we face devastating loss, but one thing I do know. I will hold firm to the faith I have in God, which tells me that all things will ultimately work together for good according to His plans. Not a promise that things will work out for "my" good necessarily, but for good for the plans that God has in store for those who hold firm to their faith and hope in Him. With faith and hope it can still be a challenge but God's love will prevail. If that is toxic positivity then label me guilty. Without faith and hope moving forward may seem impossible. Currently there's a song out by the band Casting Crowns, Desert Road that says something to the effect of "I don't know where this is going, but I do know who holds my hand, this isn't the path I would have chosen, but I'll follow it to the end". For me, being positive isn't a choice. I have faced myriad valleys and dark tunnels in my life and they were hard, devastating at times. As I trudged forward, often feeling like I was walking in quicksand, I learned that I am not able to face adversity and affliction on my own. What a comfort it is to know I do not face life’s ups and downs on my own. Once again, I will reference the overcomer Paul who proclaimed in the face of dire uncertainty, "For when I am weak, then I am made strong" II Corinthians 12:10. I choose faith which gives me hope even in the face of adversity or affliction. Of this I am positive, "toxically" positive. 

 

“For greater is He who is in me, then he who is in the world!” I John 4:4

Coach Carter