whatsyourdash.com Blog

I was in WV this past weekend. I know what you all are saying, “Chuck, you’re always in WV!” Well folks it’s a great place to be because as John Denver sang, “Almost Heaven, West Virginia!” Anyway, I was there spending time with family enjoying a fall tradition…making apple butter. It’s a long process, from cutting apples, to cooking them all day over an open flame in a huge copper pot, stirring the pot, and tending the fire. However, the end result is amazing…nothing like taking a nice hot roll and getting a big old swab of apple butter on it AND then gobbling it up! SON…THAT IS GOOD!

But the best part of this experience really isn’t the apple butter, but rather the time together as family…the building up of relationships. I was listening to Pastor Chuck Swindoll last week and he provided a highly insightful thought/comment on relationships. He basically stated, “Why is it that when your with people you love and are engaged in a time of fellowship with them, praising God with them and so forth. that you never want it to end?” The reason why is because God has wired us for fellowship…God has wired us for vital relationships. Scripture makes this all the more clear in Romans 5:8, “…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Everything Christ did was relational…the calling of the apostles, talking to the Samaritan woman by a well, feeding thousands of people, healing the blind and lame…dying on a cross to restore a relationship between the created (us) and the Creator (our Heavenly Father).

In THE END it is relationships that matter…enough said!

Yesterday, I was driving down several of our country’s great interstate highways. My family and I were returning to DC after a wonderful time with friends and family in West Virginia. It was a great weekend (other than my West Virginia Mountaineers loss to Syracuse in football, my Philadelphia Phillies not making it to the World Series and my Philadelphia Eagles getting crushed by the Tennessee Titans).

As I drove along, for some reason the words of Proverbs 3:5-6 kept being repeated in my thoughts. Proverbs 3:5-6 states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” The part of the verse that really grabbed my attention was “and lean not on your own understanding.” I have many things going on in my life right now, things that are certain and things that are completely beyond my control. I also have dear friends going through similar circumstances. Indeed it would be easy to respond to these happenings by:

1.) Trusting in my own knowledge and ‘calculated’ plans (which all too often fall apart…hence why I refer to myself as ‘Chuck – the Big, Dumb Animal’)

2.) Flying completely off the handle and sinking into anger, worry, doubt and fear of the unknown

So today I thought to myself, “Is it a ‘What’ that I’m leaning on or a ‘Who’ that I’m leaning on?” If I lean on the ‘What’ (MY knowledge, MY plans, etc.) I just set myself up for failure because I know that I am fallible (just ask my wife and if you’re perfect then you need not read on!). The ‘What’ doesn’t spur me on during these times. The ‘What’ doesn’t comfort me when the road is hard and unknown. This can only be done by a ‘Who’ (a person) and that person is Jesus Christ. He makes it clear in the writings of the prophet Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) HE has the plan, HE wants to prosper me and not harm me and HE has a hope and a future for us all! So take some time out to think, “Is it a ‘What’ or a ‘Who’ that you’re leaning on?” May the words of this old hymn encourage you to lean on Jesus!

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
(Words by: Elisha A. Hoffman…Music by: Anthony J. Showalter)

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Refrain
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Refrain

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Refrain

PRESS ON! (Philippians 3:14)
-Chuck

It’s late, but then again that’s why God gave us coffee to drink in the morning (for which I am extremely thankful!) So tomorrow me and about 80+ guys will trek on out to the beautiful Maryland highlands to spend some time together. During this time we’ll build friendships, relax, go hiking, play some football, but most of all spend some time learning from God. You may ask yourself, ‘Why Chuck? Why would you want to go away with a bunch of guys, some who you don’t even know, and oh yeah learn from God?’ Well my friend let me tell you why. The famous French philosopher Blaise Pascal said, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” Bottom-line: I’ve filled my life with all the junk that this world has and it NEVER fills me up…like Jackson Brown sang “I’m always left running on empty.” The Bible reminds us in 1 John 2:7, “The world and its desires pass away…” We all know this is true and cannot deny it as much as we want to. Each one of us has driven by a grave yard and knows as the saying goes “we have a date with destiny.” So if we know the world will leave us ‘empty’ then why not ‘filler up’ on something of eternal value, from the Holy Spirit, like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)? Last time I checked I don’t know of anyone deep down who wouldn’t want these things personally for themselves or at least have them expressed to them! Thankfully I have a ‘Band of Brothers’ who spur me on and help make sure that I am filling my ‘tank’ with the things that matter…things that are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8-9) That’s why I’m going away this weekend and that’s why I pray you have or get a Band of Brothers to help fill your ‘tank’ with what matters too!

Keep Pressing On! (Philippians 3:14) — Chuck