It was our first time in Arizona.  My family and I had stayed in Flagstaff the previous night and arose bright and early that morning for the next leg in our journey.  We had packed up the Aerostar and set out across the country, on a journey of discovery and fun.  Our daughter was 11 years old and my mom and stepfather traveled with us as well.  We can recount many memories from that trip in 2000...laughs we had, funny things we teased one another about, seeing landscapes that we had never seen before.  The beauty of New Mexico was amazing.  The heat and barrenness of the Mojave Desert were awe-inspiring.  We have talked of this trip many times over the intervening years with fond memories and laughter.  This particular day, however, stands out in my mind with special significance.

Having left I-40, we were making our way up highway 64 toward our destination.  We passed through the little town of Tusayan.  By area, it is the smallest town in the state of Arizona, with only 144 acres, or .225 square miles.  The town boasts a population, according to the 2010 census (when it was incorporated), of 562.  I mention this little town because it stands in stark contrast to the destination to which we were traveling.

As we rolled into the national park, the foliage and terrain of the area were unique in this high desert Kaibab Plateau.  Our anticipation of our destination made our hearts beat a little faster in our chests and we searched for glimpses.  Traveling along a park road, we caught a slight glimpse, but the full view of this, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, would elude us until we had disembarked from our vehicle and walked the trail among the trees.

Then it appeared.  As we approached the rim of the canyon, the immensity of this vast river gorge overwhelmed me.  My emotions caught in my throat and my eyes scanned the view to try to take it all in.  Frankly, it was difficult to fully grasp what I was seeing.  The Grand Canyon is grand indeed.  That day, as we walked along the rim, stepped out onto an observation point with a clear floor, looked into the vast 6,000+ feet drop from rim to floor, I immediately thought of the greatness of the God who created the earth.  We drove to the east, around the rim of the canyon, until we came to a place where there was an observation tower.  From that vantage point, we watched a thunderstorm, lightning and all, make its way across the canyon in the distance.  It was truly an awesome sight to see.  No words can do justice to what I experienced.  You had to be there...I was...and I worshiped.

Have you ever been in that kind of situation...an experience that was so moving and impactful in your life, but, as you tried to describe it to others, you were at a loss for words?  You have probably said, "You just had to be there."  I think I've had several of those experiences over the years.  I've found myself in experiences that have moved me to turn my eyes to the God of the universe and...worship.

• A summer Sunday evening at a small white church building in East Tennessee...a 9-year-old boy walked forward to the altar and prayed to receive Jesus as his Savior.  The pastor stood me up on the kneeling bench and asked me to tell the congregation what Jesus had just done for me.  You had to be there...I was...and I worshiped.
• Sitting on my bed in my room, as a 17-year-old boy, reading my Bible and realizing, for the first time...how real God is and that this Christian life is a living relationship between me and the Creator and Redeemer God.  You had to be there...I was...and I worshiped.
• Stepping forward in another worship service, at a church in my home town, realizing that God was calling me to a life of service in ministry.  My heart was racing as I made that step, not knowing what that fully meant for my future.  You had to be there...I was...and I worshiped.
• Attending our 1982 denominational convention in Fort Worth, Texas, as a member of a touring music group, I met up with the woman who would become my wife.  In the final worship service of that convention, we both knelt at an altar to pray, asking God whether He was calling us into foreign mission service.  We determined that all He was asking, was that we be willing to go wherever He would lead us.  We nailed down that decision that night.  You had to be there...we were...and we worshiped.
• Friday, February 24, 1989, our daughter had been born that day and I had spent all day and into the night with my wife and daughter at the hospital.  Finally, after mom and baby were asleep, I drove home around midnight.  I stopped at a traffic light and, sitting there waiting for the light to change to green, it suddenly hit me, "I'm a father!"  In that moment, I was both, overcome by gratitude, and shaken by fear of the responsibility.  You had to be there...I was...and I worshiped.
• June 27, 2014, my wife, Cindy, and I had taken the trip we had always dreamed of.  We went to Hawaii to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary (a year late).  While there, we rented a Jeep and spent the day taking a drive around the perimeter of Oahu.  We visited the North Shore, the Dole Plantation, and Waimea Valley and Falls.  The mountains and seascapes were beautiful.  Our vista was breathtaking, to say the least.  As we were cruising along with the top off of the Jeep and the wind blowing through our hair, I happened to glance back over my left shoulder (Cindy usually scolds me for sightseeing while I drive) at what I thought was an interesting shoreline outcropping...however, I wasn't sure what it was.  I quickly whipped the Jeep around and made my way back through this little seaside neighborhood.  As we emerged from the houses and into a little gravel parking lot, we discovered a beautiful rocky coastline that provided a dramatic ocean view with interesting rock formations. Lāʻie Point provided an unexpected experience that caused us to be in awe of our Creator.  You had to be there...we were...we worshiped.

What do you think of when you hear the word, "Worship?"  For many, it may bring images of Sunday gatherings at church, singing in a congregation, or maybe rituals that are meaningful in turning our hearts toward God.  I would challenge you to consider a much broader and, frankly, more biblical view of worship.  The Scriptures teach us that worship begins with a presentation of ourselves to God in service...a daily abandonment of our will to His and a seeking of His will in each of the moments of our day.  The words of Romans 12:1-2 put it succinctly.. 

So...we are taught that the true way of worship is to give ourselves as an offering to God...daily.  As we do so, our "living sacrifice," made holy by the blood and sacrifice of Christ, is received by the Father as worship...the kind that really matters.  It matters because it leads us into the process of transformation...in our actions and our thinking.  It opens our hearts and minds to know and follow the perfect will of God...that which is good and pleasing to Him.  In turn, we explore the journey of His purpose in our lives and that brings great joy to us.  I know because I've been there, and I've worshiped.

So, the next time you find yourself in a place that captures your attention...something about God's creation, a critical turn in life's road, or maybe just a conversation with a friend over coffee...abandon yourself to God in that moment, worship Him, allow Him to work in you and through you to fulfill His "good and pleasing and perfect" purpose.  You will be there...and you will worship.

I stood at the end of a road that used to lead to one of the most popular resort areas on Mindanao, Philippines.  This road was well traveled because it led to the mountain resorts that Filipinos and international tourists would flock to in search of relaxation, leisure and escape from the heat, in the mountains near New Bataan.  But, this day, the road was not traveled by tourists and people on holiday.  Instead, it was a dead end, as the roadway literally disappeared into a sea of boulders (some the size of an automobile), tree trunks, mud and debris.  There was an earie quiet as people stood, or slowly milled around among the scattered items that had been left in the aftermath of the raging avalanche of water that had devastated this region just a month earlier.

On December 4, 2012, Typhoon Bopha, nicknamed "Pablo" made its way across the southern Philippines island of Mindanao and left a path of destruction that wiped out coastal villages, flattened banana plantations and destroyed the homes of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos.  After the storm had passed, and days of search and rescue, and weeks of recovery efforts were made, this category 5 storm had killed over 1,000 people and displaced more than 400,000.  Standing there in disbelief at the destruction I was viewing, trying to imagine this massive river of water, a mile wide, that had swept boulders, trees, structures and people from the mountains into the valley, two filipino men walked up to talk with our team (I was with a Christian humanitarian aid team from the U.S.) and share their stories.  With them was an older man, who was blind, being led by his grandson, a young man in his twenties.  As they told the story, they described the impact of the storm, the chaos of its violent force as 160 mph winds ripped through their house and uprooted trees.  They talked about loved ones who were swept away and never found.  The elderly gentleman, who spoke no English, shared with us through a translator, how he had been swept from his home and family and carried by the flood waters for miles before being rescued, along with his grandson.  They were the only two surviving members of his family.  As we stood in awestruck silence, listening to their stories, we were astonished at their survival.  Because we were obviously not Filipinos, they knew we were there as a part of recovery and support efforts and they thanked us for our work.  In a bit of a spontaneous response, we stopped to pray aloud for the victims and their families in the aftermath of this catastrophic experience.  When we uttered the final "amen," one of the young men picked up a small smooth stone and handed it to me.  "Take this with you to remind you of the people of New Bataan," he said.  I smiled and assured him I would do so, and to continue to pray for their healing and recovery.  We shook hands as he smiled and thanked me once again.

They're called "the smiling Asians," I'm told...Filipinos.  Typhoon season is an annual experience in southeast Asia, and especially among the Philippine islands.  Every year they brace themselves for the storm systems that make their way through this region of the world.  It is a part of life in this country that ranges from remote primitive villages to sprawling, modern cities.  If there is one word I would use to describe the Filipino people, it would be resilient.  My job as part of the humanitarian team was to do crisis counseling with the people who came through our mobile  clinic.  After receiving medical care, they would meet with me and (usually through a translator) I would explore their support network, provide mental and emotional processing for grounding and spiritual counseling of hope and the gospel.  I always offered to pray with them, and I don't recall anyone refusing.  But, one thing struck me through all the hundreds and hundreds of people I met over those days of ministry...it was the HOPE that they held in spite of immense odds against them.  The experience taught me what hope looks like and, because many of them found their hope in Jehovah Jireh (The God who Provides), that lasting hope comes from the One who has us in His hands.  It was a beautiful intersection of purpose...I was living out my purpose in serving the needs of the Filipino people, and they were living out their purpose in demonstrating the powerful hope of the Savior in the midst of trials!  What a lesson in God's sovereignty!

Though this storm was the most powerful to hit the Southeast Asian islands to date, they had no idea that, just a few months later, on November 3-11, 2013, super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) would strike further north in the islands of the Philippines bringing destruction.  Haiyan resulted in over 7,300 casualties and over 28,000 injured.  Yet, the faith and hope of the Filipino people remained strong.  Take a moment to watch the video below and note the hope that is expressed by those who were in the midst of suffering!  I'll wrap this up on the others side.

Without hope, all is lost.  It is hope that has kept people strong and resilient through the most difficult of circumstances.  Prisoners of war survived their captivity because of hope of rescue.  Cancer survivors have persevered because they had hope of healing and recovery.  The greatest obstacles we face in life can be overcome because of hope.  This is no surprise to those who have experienced the redemption of Christ.  The good news of Jesus Christ...Messiah...is a story and message of hope.

You see...God has made a promise and, as the scriptures tell us, He cannot lie.  In Him...that is in Jesus Christ, we find refuge, hope and access to the Father, therefore, His eternal life.  That is the hope that anchors our souls.  Perhaps a quick acrostic will help to drive it home for us.

We have hope, no matter our circumstances, because...

Honesty Opens the Door to Hope

In the video clip above, and in my experience in talking with the Filipinos I met in 2013, I realized, if anything, they were brutally honest with themselves and with God.  They didn't sugar coat their situation, or try to explain it away, or live in denial.  They faced their situation head on and were honest enough to say, "This is how it is."  But, those who followed God (or at least acknowledged Him) were also honest enough to look to Him rather than blame Him.  That's a huge lesson for us...when tough times come, honesty with ourselves and God is the first step to seeing our situation through eyes of hope.

Openness to God's Plan

God is always working out His plan in our world.  He desires that all people come to Him and receive the salvation Jesus purchased (2 Peter 3:9).  God is also working out His plan in and through you as His follower.  Our hope is predicated upon the reality that we are in His hands and we are a part of HIs plan.  Knowing that He is in control and is working all things for our good, provides hope in the bleakest of times.

Perseverance Through the Tough Times

Perseverance is both learned and enabled.  Unfortunately, I'm afraid that we do our children a disservice by "rescuing" them from every tough moment that comes their way.  When the going gets tough, parents sometimes step in and remove the struggle or remove the child from the struggle.  That is the worst possible thing to do in those moments.  Our children need to learn to persevere through hard things and to learn to wait, push through, figure it out, and ultimately, trust God in those circumstances.  Paul recognized this value when he wrote the message Jesus gave him about persevering, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Hope enables us to persevere, and perseverance sustains our hope.

Entrance is Made Possible by Jesus Christ

The writer of Hebrews 6 (above) informs us that when Christ died for us, He tore the curtain that separated the Holy Place, from the Holy of Holies, in the temple.  That area (Holy of Holies) was the most sacred place in the temple.  It contained the Ark of the Covenant, atop of which was the Mercy Seat.  This was the place where God exhibited his presence and where, twice a year, the High Priest would go in to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice to atone for (seek forgiveness) the sins of the people.  This most holy place was so sacred that the priest would wear a bell on his garment so that those outside would know that he is still alive, and would have a rope tied around his ankle so that, if he went in without having been cleansed from his sin through repentance, he would die and they would have to pull him out with the rope.  Suffice it to say, going into the presence of the Most High God was a serious matter.

However, when Jesus paid the final sacrifice, doing away with the animal sacrifices that had only pointed forward to His ultimate provision, that curtain that separated all people from the presence of God, was torn down.  He made it possible for all of us, through His redemptive work, to have access directly to the Father.  We no long have to have another man go to God for us.  This Hope we have in Jesus has delivered us directly into the presence of our heavenly Father and we can communicate with Him directly.  So, in life...through all of our ups and downs...no matter the situation...we can go to God with our needs and our hurts and our failures...we have hope because we have access to the One who gives abundant life through Jesus Christ.  That is a hope that endures...the anchor for our souls!

If you haven't done so, hop over to our podcast and listen to the latest episode as Christian Hip-Hop artist, Kyren Monteiro, shares his story of "Hope for the Broken."

A man and his wife, from Holland, sat down in the workshop of skilled craftsmen to share their story.  The place was filled with the tools that fit the skilled hands of women and men who have spent decades studying and refining their craft.  The couple opened a small box and carefully unveiled a gold pocket watch.  The timepiece showed the age it carried and reflected the story they unfolded for the interested clock maker and his associate.  The watch was discolored by years of grime, the second hand and crystal were missing, but there, in the fob on the end of the watch chain, was the picture of the grandmother, holding guard over the treasured keepsake.  The Hollander told the story of the grandmother from Indonesia who had been taken from her home and family, during World War II, and imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp.  Having been taken quickly from her home, she grabbed the only thing she could that would represent the connection to her family, uncertain what the future would hold.  Taking the watch, she sewed it into the hem of her dress, where it remained, undetected, for four years until her release after the war ended.  She then passed it down to her son, who had left it to his son, as the only family heirloom that connected them to their family history.  The grandson left this precious piece in the capable hands of the craftsman to do his magic.

In the following days, the expert clock maker and another craftswoman who restores clock faces, meticulously, and with care, brought the watch back to life.  They restored it to working condition with cleaning and repair that was just enough to give it the life it once had, while preserving the integrity of its history and age.  When the day came for the reveal, the grandson, his wife, and his mother, were moved to see the watch once again working...as if each tic of the second hand represented the heartbeat of the grandmother who had survived such tragedy and miraculously preserved this artifact that would connect her generation to the many to come.  (You can see this story on the BBC program, The Repair Shop.)

This BBC program is a new discovery for me, but I'm intrigued by it.  Taking something that is old, broken and no longer useful in the eyes of the average person, and turning it into something of restored beauty or usefulness, is a joy to watch!  I wish that I had been a master craftsman.  To have studied a craft for decades, honing my skills and developing myself as an expert who has the ability to bring items "back to life;" to be able to restore things to their former beauty, to be able to bring joy to someone when they see the history come to life in that heirloom that connects them to their own history; that would be such a satisfying process.

God Restores Broken People
Watches and antiques aren't the only things that deserve to be restored.  Something is of value when it is desired enough that someone takes care of it, cherishing and utilizing it in their life.  Sometimes we may get or send the wrong idea in our realization that without Jesus, we are nothing...we can do nothing.  We acknowledge that He is everything that we need...He takes us from the realm of death and hopelessness, to life and eternal hope.  However, that does not mean that before we come to Jesus, we are worthless or not of value.  The opposite is actually true!  Consider what gives us value:

• We are created by God (remember that the most valuable things are made by the most skilled craftsmen.  God is the Master Craftsman)
• We are made as a unique individual (You know how valuable those one-of-a-kind items are!)
• We are valued with the highest price tag (Jesus gave his life for us...there is no greater price that could be paid for an individual than the life of God Himself)

So, since we have such great value as individuals, it makes sense that God would want to go to any length to restore us from our brokenness.  After all, He has already paid for us.  When we come to Him and give ourselves over to His care and power, He begins a process of restoration and healing that continues throughout our lives.

God Uses Broken People
Somehow, there can be this image in the church world that a person has to be perfect before God can use them...that we have to have it all together or God has no use for us.  While I'm not suggesting that we give ourselves a pass for sin, I am declaring that being sinless, free of hang-ups or struggles, is not the prerequisite of being useful in the hands of God.  The fact is, that the Bible is full of examples of how God uses imperfect and broken people.  For example...

• Abraham - too old
• Elijah - too depressed
• Joseph - too prideful and was abused
• Moses - had a speech impediment
• Rahab - was a prostitute
• Samaritan Woman - divorced
• Noah - got drunk
• Jacob - was a deceiver
• David - committed adultery and murder
• Jonah - ran from God
• Naomi - a widow
• Peter - a betrayer
• Martha - a worrier
• Zacchaeus - too short and materialistic
• Paul - a persecutor

In this week's podcast, Paige Clingenpeel shares how God worked in her life to move from a comfortable "dream job" to a place of greater service and purpose than she had imagined.  In that process, as she heard and saw the plan of God unfolding before her, she asked the question, "Can He use me in this way?...I'm broken."  She goes on to share four reasons why God does use all of us in our brokenness.

1. When we allow God to use us in our brokenness, we grow in our dependence upon Him.
2. God uses us to minister out of our brokenness so that we can express the grace of God authentically.
3. When God works through us in our brokenness, He gets the glory for what is accomplished.
4. When we minster out of our brokenness and experience the power of God, our faith grows as it could in no other way.​

Spend Time in the Master's Workshop
The watch that spent four years in the hem of a prisoner's dress had to undergo a transformation to be restored to its usefulness and beauty, and to fulfill its purpose to connect the generations of a family.  This transformation required extended time in the workshop of very skilled craftsmen.  They painstakingly worked to carefully bring the watch to life...giving joy to those who were connected to it.

The Father has a workshop where he does His masterwork in each of us.  He is working to make us that masterpiece that brings glory to His name.  We are freed to fulfill our purpose and to see Him work through us to accomplish the things he has planned for us in this world!  How does He accomplish this?  Again, Paige gives us some insight...

• Spend time with Jesus...be in His presence...take in His Word
• Listen to Him...let His Words permeate your mind and heart...meditate upon His truth
• Take the steps of obedience...surrender to His will and plan for your life.

In this workshop, like the watch, we find renewal and restoration, putting us in that position to connect a generation with the love and redemption of a God who specializes in using broken people.