Much of my summer is spent reading. Popular authors plan their latest works for summer just as do the summer movies. Most of the bestsellers are easy reads. The novels in my library are basically escapist in nature. If you look close, you will be able to see who my favorite writers are by the amount of books in place. One problem of mine is that of being a fast reader by nature. Even my earliest test scores in school give evidence to an unusual ability to read as well as retain a lot of information in a short amount of time. My average time to read a novel is about two days. Even longer books do not take me much longer than that. What usually happens is a fast reading then moving on to another book. Last night changed that in a big way.

Cormac McCarthy is a powerful writer whose books are constanly praised even if he remains unknown and reclusive. Last year on my trip to Minnesota his book, No Country for Old Men was on my reading list. Last night his newest book became my newest read. The Road is one of those books that reaches out to grab you and refuses to let go. It is the story of a father and son on a journey in the years after nuclear war laid waste to this planet. The characters are never named. The country of their journey is never really given though you know it is the United States. My reading began early in the evening. After a break for exercise and work it continued until early this morning. My intent was to stop on several occasions but the story would not allow it.

My mind wanders today to just how far men will go to get what they want. We live under a cloud of nuclear weapons hidden in underground caves around the world. Terrorists of all types are determined to rid this planet of life as we know it. If that isn't enough, we live in a real world day by day where evil people roam. James, the half-brother of Jesus tells us of evil's unending quest to dominate the lives of those who are godly. The father and son in this book often speak of being the "good guys." It is their love and devotion to each other that keeps them alive. Their world exists as if God does not. McCarthy seems to know better than that. It is as if he knows the phrase, "God is love, where there is love, there is God."

One of my thoughts in the afterglow of that dreary postapocalyptic world is to do as the father and son even before bombs fall. How often we can do just a small act of kindness for another to lift their spirits? We can refuse to let the evil around us determine the heart within us. The book ends in an oddly uplifting moment. Without spoiling the ending let me suggest the idea that the good we do for others is our reward but it also opens up goodness from others. Reminds me of another wise saying, "Do unto others..."

Bro. Trey

A man stands alone in the desert. He is a solitary figure surrounded by sheep on the backside of nowhere. He is approaching his 80th birthday. At one time he lived in the White House of his day. His grandfather was the most powerful man in the world. There was nothing beyond his reach. Now he tends to sheep day in and day out. You wonder what goes through a man's mind when he once lived without the limits of most mortals. Where he once lived in the bustle of the city, now he breathes in dust. Here is a man who once bathed in perfumed water but now smells of sheep. What does this man named Moses have for a future? Can a man be so forgotten he no longer has purpose?

Exodus 3 tells us that God knows who we are, what we did, and how to use us in spite of ourself. The desert is not beyond His reach. Age is not something He is concerned with when He makes His plans. Even a criminal record will not keep Moses on the sidelines when God decides to act. We may think our life is beyond repair but that is only because we haven't brought it to God's caring heart. This man Moses once killed another person in cold blood. His picture still hangs in the king's mansion. Now that photo is however on a wanted poster. God chooses to speak above the noise of the sheep to call this Moses to an unbelievable future.

God's activity seems mysterious to us at times. Human nature says we need to solve the mystery to make God more manageable. Do you ever stop to think that maybe a mystery is meant to remain that way? We tend to want to figure God out more than we want to enjoy Him. Maybe this is why we lose the sense of wonder in our life. Our view on life becomes jaded over time not because God doesn't speak but because we don't simply listen. God's work with Moses is not just a story that remains interesting for 3500 years. It is the model for us to remember when we become casual about God.

Here is something to remember as you read the story. It is something that reflecting on this event brought to my attention this week. We can be the burning bush in life. While you go about wondering if God does the dramatic still, just look to Moses. His burning bush is just that. Ours may be in the form of people around us who nudge us to follow God's will. Also keep in your mind that YOU can be a burning bush for others. God fills us with His Spirit not simply to do religious gymnastics. He takes our life to set it aflame for His purpose. Be a burning bush for others as you talk to God about people. Keep the bush burning by talking to people about God. Perhaps you feel like you are in a desert as you read this. Stop to make the time to listen to God give you His presence so you are a part of transforming others as He does to us.

Bro. Trey

The old saying is, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." A problem with that is sometimes they go in the wrong direction. Church is notorious for having people who cannot stay strong in a crisis. When life is smooth sailing then everything is fine. When life encounters some strong winds or rough surf then too many believers tend to look for an escape. My study last week took me to the story of the exodus. How God's people could endure with such courage was an eye opener. Here are people who are accustomed to blessings beyond compare yet are turned into common slaves by the Egyptians who fear them. For the Hebrews, courage is not dependent on conditions. My wish is that it would be the same for us.

How we face the days when God can't seem to be felt is a huge measure of maturity. We know in our mind God is always around. We just aren't always sure that He cares. Feeling better often becomes more important than finding God in our world. There was no immediate relief on the way for the Hebrews when the book of Exodus opens. However these people just like us are determined to be faithful in spite of the obstacles. It is that obedience that brings God to life in their life as it will in ours.

Our world is far different than theirs on the surface. Yet with all the tools of technology at our disposal we still cannot fix life. It seems that we spend a lot of time, energy, and money to simply fix life but fall short. Exodus is a reminder that God's purpose is much larger than fixing life. God is going to be working out that purpose even when we don't see or feel Him. His commitment to us is not dependent on the situation of the moment. My hope becomes not in escaping a crisis but gaining a deeper encounter with Him.

There is no simple forumla for going through these types of experiences. One suggestion is to join with others who know your pain to gain from their strength. There will be those who do not understand and become critical of your journey. Avoid those people at all costs. Find those who can encourage you to hold to your faith. Also, keep at your habits of prayer and study. There is no time when taking a break here will ever add to your spiritual walk. Finally, learn that the art of looking to the past seldom helps anything. Our tendency is to look back as if we can regain something that seems lost. Remember that God does have better things in store for life as we grow into a faith that holds to Him no matter what. My hope is that we could somehow avoid these times as they are painful. Reality says that a better hope would be that we grow beyond comparison from a life dependent on His power as well as His grace.

Bro. Trey