- Wear the right jeans – add 1 point.
- Drive a cool car – add 2 points.
- Date the right guy – add 4 points.

Yet, the scoreboard that we grew up with never leaves us alone as adults. It is bad enough when we put pressures of the scoreboard on others, but is worse when we put the pressures of the scoreboard on ourselves.

Put a group of men in a room for a few minutes – we all know the first question asked – What do you do for work? The scoreboard above records the response:

- Good job– add 5 points
- Got a new truck and a promotion? Add 10 points.

For women, I think the scoreboard can be even more ruthless:
- Lose 5 pounds – add 10 points
- Gain 5 pounds – lose 25 points.
- Got a good job/look after your kids like a supermom – add 30 points (and guilt, no matter what your choice)

Dress sizes are scored and recorded on the scoreboard too; weight loss/gain chronicled to the fraction of a pound; a few wrinkles seem to be measured and inspected as if they were miles long. Where sufficient funds allow, wrinkles are creamed or surgically stretched out, bosoms are implanted and flesh is carved or sucked away – all for the scoreboard above.

Ministry is not immune to the scoreboard with questions like, “How many people attended your meetings or your church or where did you attend Bible school?”

We can take the same approach with God, thinking that He is wielding a scoreboard over our lives recording the score on our good days of loving one another and subtracting the sins we commit. This leaves us looking overhead to produce a better score with Him that He may love us more or be proud of us.

This all changed for me one day about 10 years ago when a little girl with a pony tail met the scoreboard.  The day began when I scurried from my job late one afternoon to see my 12 year old daughter play basketball for her school. My daughter’s team fielded barely 7 or 8 players against a large school’s team with a full bench, coaches and assistant coaches. I entered the cavernous gymnasium with the game underway, looked up to the scoreboard pronouncing that my daughter’s team was losing 28 to 4.

I sat on the sidelines watching her running up and down the court, high-fiving when they scored a basket and encouraging one another even when they missed a free throw or made a mistake. For 35 minutes, I watched her pony tail bounce up and down, I marveled at how wonderfully she was made and how much I loved her – and for 35 minutes the scoreboard didn’t matter.

The Bible says in Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God is with you… He will take great delight in you… he will rejoice over you with singing”.

This scripture is special to me – even more special on days the scoreboard hangs over my head, but then I think about the little girl with the pony tail and remind myself that God delights in me, too.

- Moms and dads racing home from work, shoveling down some Kraft dinner or Wendy’s burgers as they enter the church to dress up for one of the scenes. Venti-sized Starbucks and Timmy’s are prevalent supplying a dose of energy to get through the evening. Some are on cell phones closing off business and family commitments to don robes or put out traffic cones or feed the sheep and light all the candles.

- Volunteers braving freezing winds or our typical Lower Mainland downpours (or both at the same time) to set up scenes or take them down at near midnight on the last night of the event.

- Folks putting their Christmas shopping on hold to grab a flashlight and steer traffic with a smile and add some cheer to a car-full of kids and their haggard parents on their way home from the mall.

- The warmth of good friends in our coffee break time, complete with all the laughs at Ivan’s jokes (I think every church needs an Ivan – he is a sure cure for sourpusses) or watching Stevie, one of our traffic directors, doing his penguin imitations for passersby.

- Cars full of people who know Jesus, being encouraged in their faith one more time as they forget their to-do lists and think again on the miracle of Christmas.

- Wide-eyed folks that are not quite so sure about this God or Jesus thing but choosing to take just one more step on their journey of faith.

In the end, as the last Nativity scenes are stowed away for next year and the sheep and hay are loaded on the truck, I cannot help but think of all these small things that happened in our Nativity Drive Through.

I was reminded of Zechariah 4:10 (N:T) “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”

One day we shall all see the fruit born of these seeds faithfully planted… albeit small seeds, but seeds planted nonetheless.

And what happens on the stock market, happens in households across North America each day. We estimate our neighbours personal value based on their most recent performance or even purchase. (We recently bought a new vacuum cleaner and were advised by the sales person that by buying this brand of vacuum cleaner, clients of my wife’s house cleaning business would surely see that her business was top notch. Helloooo….this is a vacuum cleaner for Pete’s sake.)

Worse than that, we can assign values to ourselves based on our own performance. A promotion at work would boost our perception of ourselves, but a demotion or being without work seems to send our personal worth into the drain. We feel it, our kids feel it–each of us somehow linking our value (and even how we feel God values us) to our performance.

Back to the stock market; the most ardent investors seek companies that have a high intrinsic value (Investopedia defines intrinsic as the “TRUE” value of the stock), especially where the intrinsic value exceeds the markets perceived value of the stock.

God knows our intrinsic value, our true value, scripture says we are His dear children, where this value far exceeds any value assigned to us by our culture or employers or family members.

Isaiah 43: 1-7 includes these words:

“But now, this is what the LORD says: …… I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. …. you are precious and honored in my sight……..I love you……Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”

Forbes magazine reports that the highest price stock is Berkshire Hathaway at $115,000 per share, far above industry leaders like Google or Apple, and know in your heart, that if you were on the stock market today, God would value you far more than any of these….

1. Yes

2. No

3. Wait

We all really like the first answer and not so keen about the other two. Today, I would like to add a 4th answer—one that applies to us married men.

4. Prayers stuck in the out-box.

I think we have all looked at our computer screens at one time or another and seen emails stuck in our outbox. Why do they get stuck? After all, we pushed the SEND button, even repeatedly. Talking to the screen doesn’t seem to help, so we begin the quest of finding out why.

Just as emails gett stuck in the outbox, so can a husband’s prayers. Let’s look to the Bible to find out why:

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.1 Peter 3:7

Now I know some folks might get their knickers in a knot and side-tracked over the word “weaker”, so let’s first describe what it is not! It is not a patriarchal view of a feeble, substandard person. (My wife has abilities in many areas that surpass mine and she can do any job that I can. Even though she can do any job, I don’t think she should have to–that’s where God has given me gifts and talents). Actually, the principle point here is not about capacity; it is about honor. After all, we are co-heirs of heaven and in Christ; we are neither male or female (Galations 3:28).

As a husband, how can I live with my wife in an understanding way, showing honor, so that my prayers are not stuck in the outbox (i.e. hindered)?

On a practical level, to understand her is to know her and this knowledge requires effort–much effort. This intimate pursuit will slowly unveil her hopes,  her dreams and even her deepest fears…and I know that for my wife, whenever I have commenced this pursuit even in the most microscopic form, she feels more than honored. I think all wives would say a hearty amen to that.

But some husbands would ask just how much effort do I have to put in? How much do I have to give to this pursuit? First of all guys, it is the dumbest question you can ask your wife, so the Bible saves you the trouble and gives you the answer instead.

Ephesians 5:25 says “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”

Just as Christ gave himself up for his church (that’s you and me–His church, the bride of Christ), husbands need to give themselves up for their wives, their brides.

So today guys, remind yourself that your wife IS your bride… give yourself wholly to the pursuit and don’t hold back….swing for the fence and your prayers will be surely SENT.

- Could this pain be repercussions of our own sin? Maybe. Most of us mature folks are fully willing to pay the piper for our own bad choices… We have all walked that road.

-Could this pain be from just a little heavenly discipline from a loving Father, shaping and molding us for His glory? Maybe.

But what about pain inflicted on us, not of our own doing, where we are truly innocent?

The apostle Paul undoubtedly asked the same questions as he sat in the darkness of prison, but summarized it in Philippians 1:12 “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”

Could it be that God is advancing the gospel through your pain and circumstances? Are those who “jailed” you now seeing Christ in you? It would not be the first time in history. Know this–On that day He returns, when we stand before our Maker and all things in Creation will be “laid bare” 2 Peter 3:10, we will then see how God has used our pain to reach a dying world. We will see lives changed and souls saved and we won’t give a second thought to our circumstances on this earth. The pain you feel today will have value, great eternal value and will be seen by all.

Suddenly, even my own pain seems a little more bearable…

I am thinking about children and how much I appreciate them, but more so I am thinking about grandparents and and great-grandparents and HOW MUCH they appreciate children.

When I was young, I could not understand why 80 and 90 year-olds loved their children and grandchildren so much…  I thought that maybe in their retirement, that they did not have much activity or fun, so they loved us all the more. We were sorta all they had.

Not so…

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.”  Psalm 127:3

I have been blessed by many things in my 53 years on this earth — But no gift surpasses a gift from God.

I realize now that it just takes a whole lifetime to comprehend the full value of the gift.

Dad

Recent discovery of the planets Gliese 581c and Gliese 581d (some 20 light years away), initially being possible contenders for habitability, are overshadowed by potential temperatures of 1000 degrees Celsius or toxic environment.  These add to the list the hundreds of planets that have been discovered and yet none so far seem to be able to support life.

When I think of the myriad of parameters for conditions to sustain life, let alone cause it to flourish; I look at how well this planet supports all life, including our lives.  No 1000 degree Celsius temperatures during the day or -1000 degrees Celsius at night, but a continual ebb and flow of seasons and tides and sun and rain.

Each day on earth, it is just the quiet daily handiwork of God, feeding the birds (Matthew 6:26), clothing the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:30) and watching over His precious children. One cannot help feeling special and cared for in this Creation and yet there is a challenge for us earth dwellers:

Romans 1:20 says “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

Take a peak outside today and ponder this Creation called earth and the God who placed you in it.

The comfortable stalls that kept them safe, dry and sheltered from our Sumas Prairie winter northeasters have now become a little small and they have explored every inch of the stall and are looking for more.

With the frost gone, the bright green spring grass pushes up through the warming soil and I swear that the calves just know that there is something good outside that barn door. The day of release is coming soon.

On that day, when the door is opened, they stand on the sill with the sun in their face, sniffing the soil and the first blade of grass, nibbling a little, followed by bucking and skipping and running till they fall. No matter, they are back on their feet and then turn their attention to the other calves where they butt and chase each other till long after the sun goes down.

The Bible says “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall”. Malachi 4:2 NIV

So shall it be for us who are heaven bound–the barn door is now closed, but soon will be flung open and His presence will be shining like a summer sunrise. The too-small stalls of this life will be a distant thought, if at all. We will rejoice and carouse with our Maker and loved ones in pastures we can’t even imagine.

Take a minute today and think about the affliction of your cramped stall and know that Jesus is unbolting the barn doors soon…..oh, what a day that will be!

This is never more evident in our household than with the loss of one of the BIG-3 (keys, wallet or cell phone)… the loss of any of these has the power to stop your life in its tracks. My wife’s response to the loss of one of the BIG 3 would be “Dear Jesus, please help me find my keys” as she scurries about the house, purse in hand… and I might add, she thanks Him profusely upon recovery of said keys.

I, on the other hand, sorta operate differently; somehow believing that God gave me two good eyes to find the keys I lost… And thinking that I don’t need to bug God with these minor details of life.

Which is right?

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

I distinctly see the word all in this verse and the Greek word of “all” means literally “all” (everything, whatsoever, whosoever) not some or most of. And just ahead of that word “all” is the word cast, meaning “to throw”, implying an unreservedly committed gesture to hurl our anxieties onto the lap of our Abba Father who so deeply cares for us.

So today, whether your cares involves your keys, your dollars, health or a special whosoever, heed your Maker’s advice and let Him take your burden – it’s His job.

I was a little like an unbroken horse, with a rebellious inclination- even bucking when pressure was applied to my back like a rider. Little by little, I began to sense the consoling hand of our Father when I was troubled and the gentle prompting of His knee encouraging me to pick up some speed for the next hill. I also began to hear the Father’s “well done” voice and tussle of the mane – and He used my new church family to say it.

However, God wanted to take me into new pastures of freedom from my mind-set and feelings, yet the path getting there always seemed new and the footing unsure. I bucked and kicked and part of me wanted to break out of this new terrain and return to land that I knew. But God and the people around me loved me too much.

The Bible says “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” Psalm 32:9 NIV

God loved me enough to apply pressure to the bit of correction in my mouth and He used His Word, church family and leaders to do it. Not an easy feeling for an unbroken horse. Yet, in hindsight, I see that the pressure of the bit saved me from a path of pain.

Thank you God and thank you church family for not giving up on me, but loving me enough to tighten the reigns on the bit of correction that saved me from harm and a very real destruction.