“Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

There are lots of things I learned from a quadruple bypass open heart surgery.

1. It really hurts when they splay you open in half
2. I wouldn’t recommend it
3. Recovery takes a long time
4. Cheeseburgers are yummy. And, cheeseburgers are not good for heart health

The biggest truth I learned from open heart surgery is a spiritual one.

There was one particular day when the post-op pain was so severe, I cried tears. I don’t normally cry. But that day, the pain was so constant, and I was having trouble breathing as I had been panting for a day because I couldn’t get air in my lungs.

The doctors and nurses told me I would be feeling better in twenty-four hours. Every second seemed to last an eternity.

I had a major “woe is me” pity party. I was only thirty-eight. This wasn’t supposed to happen to me. In the yearly physical just a few months prior, the doctor told me I was borderline diabetic and hypertension. The doc had said I was healthy but could lose a few more pounds and exercise more. That’s what thirty-eight year olds are supposed to hear on their annual physicals.

But here I was sitting in the hospital room crying. Because everything was so miserable.

One of the things the hospitals do to help patients recover quickly is to make them walk. The first walk they made me take was just five hours after surgery!

As I walked the hallways I discovered a spiritual truth: the people around me were facing a much harder reality than me. I was going to recover. I was going to get out of there. There were others in rooms right next to me who weren’t going to make it. As I realized what was happening around me, I began praying for the patients and the families gathered in rooms where people were not going to make it.

The spiritual lesson I learned was that when I get my eyes off myself and start seeing the people around me my pain eases. You see, God didn’t give us life to be lived from the perspective of me. God gives us the gift of life so that we can be a blessing to others. It’s when we can bless others that we can truly be happy.

This covid season stinks. There are a lot of people struggling and hurting. If you focus on you, you will go down the never-ending rabbit trail of “woe is me.” Take your eyes off yourself and start looking at the people around you. There are people all over who are hurting around you. Be a blessing today. And as you begin to really “see” the people around you, you’re going to discover your joy in serving others.

“Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

“Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Covid-19 is at it again. Those testing positive with covid are rising at an alarming rate in Pierce County and all throughout this country. Many states are going back to stricter regulations. Restaurants are take out only. No one knows how many of the small businesses are going to make it through this. Hospitalizations for covid are filling our hospitals. Our health care workers are being stretched.

One of my daughters is working with economically disadvantaged kids in Houston with Teach for America. She is living alone for the first time in her life. We were so looking forward to having her home for Thanksgiving. But that’s not happening anymore. Covid had other plans. She will be away from us for the first time ever during Thanksgiving, and that’s not sitting too well with her daddy.

Ugh!

Psst. Hey, you! He’s talking to you. Yes, you.

The “you” in the verse of the day is singular throughout our verse. God’s not talking to you all. He’s talking to you!

“Fear not, for I am with you James; do not be dismayed for I am your God James; I will strengthen you, James, I will help you, James, I will uphold you, James, with my righteous hand.”

For every time you see my name underlined, replace it with your name and read this verse again.

Yeah, really. You! Do it. Read it with your name because God’s talking to you today.

This covid season will end. The vaccine is right around the corner. Hang in there. Stay faithful. Do everything you can to protect yourself, your loved ones, our health care workers, and all other essential workers. Keep wearing your masks, keep washing your hands with soap, and continue to practice social distancing.

We’ll all make it through this. God’s got our back. Let’s make sure we’re all at the other end of this covid thing.

Listen. God’s talking to you…

“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

I have a friend who is an amazing encouragement to me. Every time I am with him I feel encouraged. Every time I am with him, he makes me want to be a better person and a better Christian.

A while back we were attending the Leadership Summit conference at Willow Creek Church in Chicago. There were about 10,000 pastors and leaders from all around the world at Willow Creek Church. During the breaks, we would all make a mad dash for the restrooms. The Leadership Summit is about the only place I know – besides football games and rock concerts – where a guy has to wait to go to the bathroom.

During the breaks, we would all make a mad dash to the restrooms and wait in line. There would be lines 30-50 people deep waiting to use the men’s room. Every time we used the restroom, I would observe my friend taking the extra time to wipe down the sink with the paper towel after he washed his hands. I never asked him why he did that, but I don’t need to.

The reason why my friend did that – and why he was always an encouragement to me, why he always took the time to thank the waiter in the restaurant, acknowledged the guy who served our coffee, greeted the greeter at the hotel, etc. – is because his goal in life is to be like Jesus.

He wanted to make wherever he was a better place because wherever he was, Jesus was there.

And the reason why he lives his life like this is because that’s how Jesus lived his life.

Could you imagine if all Christians lived with this simple philosophy – making the world a better place than we found it?

Should Christians live our lives like that, there wouldn’t be a need for apologetics. Christians would be the best reason for others to come to love Jesus Christ.

So you know what I find myself doing now? I am wiping down the sink in public places, taking the extra time to greet and thank the people serving and helping, doing my best to be like my friend – because he’s so much like Jesus Christ.