This thought in my mind triggered from a conversation in one of our worship meetings about how there are so many people who have a normal that looks so different than our normal. What about the family who has the autistic or down syndrome child? Their everyday normal looks so different than mine. That was a realization of how clueless I am in my life. I have no idea what it feels like to be in that type of situation.

I began to really think about it a lot over the next week and then I found myself at this songwriting session having a similar discussion. We talked about being thankful for what we have, but then something triggered in me.

Not only should we have that realization, but as Christians we should also be pursuing to feel the pain of another person’s normal.

Perhaps that is why Paul says count it all joy to go through tough things.

So these lyrics began to come out:

Can you feel the world
Can you feel it’s pain
I want to know, what it feels like

Okay, so then as we progressed further into this thought, what is the purpose of a Christian feeling the pain of the suffering people. Of course, the first place to look is Jesus.

Jesus took the pain of the world on His shoulders so that He could be the redeeming factor in our lives.

That’s it. As Christians, we carry that same redeeming quality called salvation. Of course suffering goes way beyond the homeless and poor. What about those who are lonely, hopeless, addicted, and scared. Maybe we are called to seek out some suffering so that we can be a redeeming factor in that. Not only do we take it on when it inadvertently hits us in life, but pursue it and count it all joy!

“If we labor to be all things to all people, we will most likely be nothing to everyone”

Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Anywho, I don’t even know what the movie was b/c I was driving, and I’m a good driver and don’t watch movies while I drive. lol. But I did hear this part where this girl’s eyes were miraculously healed and this guy brought her glasses back to her and told her she better see the doctor. Basically, he did not really believe she was healed. So, she looks back at him, without her glasses on, and says she didn’t need to see the doctor. He asked why she doesn’t even want to see the doctor and how does she get healed and not other people. She replied with a statement that almost made me drive off the road,

“because I believed”

It was so easy for her. She used to not be able to see and now she can. She simply believed. Her decision wasn’t that hard. Either she stays blind or she believes and maybe sees again. She chose to just believe. Then when she did get healed, she didn’t need an explanation. She knew she could see and it was because she believed.

There was a simplicity in her life that I longed for. Sometimes when we have been involved in religious activity for so long, or been in the politics of ministry for so long, we overcomplicate what it is to follow Jesus. We overcomplicate it to the point that it is hard to just believe. We need explanation after explanation. Or better yet, we are arguing with other believers about “how” to believe!

I just want to believe! Not because religion tells me to. Not because religion tells me how to. I don’t want to believe because it is my job. I want the motivation of my belief to be as pure as that girl’s.

I want to believe because if I don’t, I can’t see!

I have come to this conclusion….

There is no other way to live for God than eyes wide shut, all-in, going for it.

Where do I get that idea? Often God has us in situations where we HAVE to rely on Him. We think the situation is the problem, but it is us, or what we are not seeing. It is us teeter-tottering between fully living by faith in God and living “smart” in our eyes.

Where does the worry in a situation come from? From us trying to fit the solution for the situation into our “smart” thinking. It is easy to do. We try to fit the other side into our thinking or perspective. The problem is that when we are trying to make sure we are living “smart” we are trying to protect ourselves, but Paul says to become a man of no reputation. That is all-in blind faith. Not protecting ourselves, but trusting that God will take care of it. Besides, we are trying to protect ourselves from GOD!

If something is God and you know it, save yourself some worry and frustration and just live all-in blind.

Yes, I know what’s inside of me
I’ll let it out for the world to see
Change the world with just one touch

There is a responsibility to be a good steward of what we have been entrusted with. Not only for our good, but for the good of the world. This requires two decisions:

1. Recognize and accept that responsibility of what you carry.
2. Commit to developing and maximizing the giftings given so the world can see what you carry.

As we walk through this process, remember, that no matter how hard it looks to walk these two decisions out, no power is stronger than what God put inside of you.

There is a phrase in both of the sections that says, “change the world with just one touch.” This is so beautiful to me because of what I mentioned in the first post. This song started as my thought. My thumbprint may not be huge, but when a bunch of people start singing this song together in church, on the radio, or listening to a cd; combined with their touch, that thumbprint just got a lot bigger!

That my friends, is the story behind the song. So let these lyrics take on a new meaning.

Do you know what’s inside of you
Do you know what you can do
Change the world with just one touch

Yes, I know what’s inside of me
I’ll let it out for the world to see
Change the world with just one touch

I wanted to share the reasoning behind the song because it is so powerful if we realize what we are singing about. What I love about a song is that what was just one person’s thought can so easily become the thought of many. It even goes beyond a thought. People hear a song on the radio or go to church and sing and agree about that thought, all at the same time! Pretty powerful!

Do you know what’s inside of you
Do you know what you can do
Change the world with just one touch

What does this even mean?

I was sitting in a breakout session with Eric Geiger, the guy who wrote Simple Church. I remember he quoted Matthew 16:18 and went on to explain the power of this verse. It says,

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

He went on to describe that nothing can overpower the church. He gave the example of a car going 70mph at one of those little gates that are just a piece of wood. You know the ones that raise when security approves you. I’m sure you have seen a movie where a car just plows through those and the wood has no chance.

Now, imagine the gate is the church. Evil power is the car coming at 70mph. The difference between the movie you saw and what the Bible says is this: The car is stopped dead in its tracks!

What a powerful visual he gave of the power of the church! What is beautiful is that the church is not a building. The church is made up believers of Christ! That means that if you are Christian, that power resides in you!

Now if you and I could really learn to live these words:

Do you know what’s inside of you
Do you know what you can do
Change the world with just one touch

I do hate goodbyes and maybe that is why I need to say one. I have decided to say goodbye to Twitter and my blog for an undetermined time.

I want God to do something so HUGE in my life.

I want to fall so deeply in love with Christ and walk in ALL He wants me to walk in. I want to experience the Presence that changed my life in a new, stronger, refreshing, more intimate way. Usually when I get this urgency, I say goodbye to something.

Why? Because when I say goodbye to something I love, to focus on God, something special happens.

I want to write the songs that have for so long been spoken over my life that I would write. Those songs that change people’s lives because they come from God. God is the Author and Finisher of my faith and destiny, and

I need to get to know the Author and Finisher closer in order to walk in ALL He has set before me.

Technology I do love. Perhaps, sometimes, my actions show I love it more than knowing my God. Will I be back? I don’t know, but the fact that I care that you care that I come back is a good reason to set it down. Until next time……………………

This morning, I popped straight up out of bed, looked at the clock and it was 6:30 on the dot. I fought it for awhile thinking it was coincidence, but the fear of it not being coincidence eventually got me out of bed.

Often my life is like a “How NOT to.” This morning was no different. I was walking and began to pray. As I was praying, I was saying, “Okay God, you woke me up and I obeyed. So, you must have something big to tell me.” I even started asking what He was going to reward my obedience with. Then it hit me.

I often act way to much like a dog, and treat God like Pavlov.

I immediately started thinking about what God was going to reward my obedience with. I can picture God sad, thinking, “that Aubrey kid is missing the whole point.”

Maybe the prize for obeying this morning was to get to spend time with God! Imagine that! The prize to know my God! Maybe the big revelation was to experience His power in the sunrise as a reminder that He is in control, but still takes the time to wake me up to be with Him.

I thought it was sad that I came in with these false expectations of some big moment b/c God woke me up. In reality, God just helped me get my butt out of bed as a way of saying,

“Let’s do this more often……”

Last night I had a moment though. I was fighting sleep just thinking about the great weekend, while my wife slept. As I looked at her laying on my chest wrapping her arm around me, I thought,

“For some reason, this woman loves me. Not only that, but she trusts me in her most vulnerable state.”

I think sleep is the most vulnerable we can be. I mean, if I am sleeping good, I think I actually stop breathing sometimes. The picture of my wife holding on to me in her most vulnerable state really challenged me to be a man.

She looks to me for leadership, physically and spiritually. Not only her, but someday, some little Aubreys will lay on my chest the same way and look to me the same way my wife does.

Wow! What an opportunity and responsibility! Last night reminded me to take responsibility and be a man of God to my family.

God, shape me into the man you want me to be…………….