ANCIENT PATHS AND LEADERSHIP

I have been studying up on bears and their power and their mannerisms. Bears are so territorial. They will shred anything that tries to take over their property or that tries to hurt their cub. They allow their cubs to go off on their own and play and explore, but they watch and make sure the cubs are close still. All it takes is one cry for help and the parent is there devouring whatever it was threatening their cub. And when learning how to cross treacherous and potentially life threatening areas the cubs follow the older bears and literally step in the exact same places their leaders step. The strides of the older bears are much wider than the stride of the younger cubs. So it takes stretching and they don't always hit the steps right the first time. They have to learn the importance of following the wisdom and steps of the older bears, but its not until they are considered an older bear in the that they learn how to walk exactly right.

And as I sit here and study these ancient, majestic creatures I cant help but see the correlations between bears and our relationship with the Lord. We have a Father that is so jealous of His property or HIs cubs, us. And He will do anything to protect His cubs. He lets us go out and try and fend for ourselves. But no matter how far we stray He is right there when we need Him, devouring whatever is coming against us.

And just as the younger cubs have to learn to follow and walk in the same ways as the bears before them, we as young Christians go through treacherous times in our lives. But if we look to the older Christians that have been before us we can learn to find the safe path. No, we don't get it right the first, second or fiftieth time, but when we do get it right we realize that it has now become our responsibility to show younger Christians how to cross the treacherous paths safely.

T.R.A.I.L.

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Life of More

Langston Hughes once wrote," Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams for when dreams go life is a barren field frozen with snow." In each one of us there is a dream, a dream for more. This is not greed, but a yearning of desire that is set in us at birth. It is an unquenchable disassociation with the exceptance that this is as good as life gets. From somewhere deep inside there is a voice that is crying out, "There is more. Life isnt supposed to be this way."
What happened? When we graduate college, we believe that we can change the world, that we can reset order and right-living to the earth. But as we grow older and life lets us down, he/ she breaks our heart, best friends move away, we dont get the promotion we thought we deserved, or we go unnoticed by everyone around us and the voice crying out for more is slowly silenced into nothing more than a whisper that cannot be heard above the noise and rattle of the life that is not enough or constantly disappointing us. But every once in a while, when we are lying in bed at night or find ourselves day dreaming the "voice of more" has its way and controls our minds for just long enough to peak our interest in the life of more.
Hold fast to these moments. Hold fast to the fleeting dreams of being able to restore order and right-living to the earth.Those dreams and desires were not put there to give you hope in something that could never be achieved. A man without desire and without passion for the life of more is a man that has no hope. He is a shell of a man. Jesus calls to live life to the full. Letting the disappointments and letdowns of life control whether or not you pursue your dream is not living life to the full; it is limping through life. Disappointment is an attack of the evil one to steal your hope, joy, and destroy your dreams and hope for a life of more. Dont go down like that.

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