“Broadsided…” (by Mel McGuire)

I witnessed an accident once where a driver was waiting at a stop sign. She was on a side street waiting to merge onto a much larger, much busier highway. The traffic on the street she was wanting to join was non-stop, and she eventually just pulled out into traffic…and got broadsided.

Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but it could have been a true tragedy. As I began my investigation, I asked her, “Why did you go? You had a stop sign. They had the right of way.”

Her answer was, at the time, incredulous to me. She said, “I wanted to go, and I had waited long enough, so I went.” True story, THAT is what she said. I didn’t see the need to explain to her, or remind her, that merging is legal only when it is safe to do so.

I must admit, her answer and attitude broadsided me. I quickly let go of my indignation and judgment once I realized that I too, at intersections of life, had waited long enough and just decided to go. You ever create havoc because you moved before it was safe to do so?

A stop sign, or red light, means just that…STOP. Implied in the stopping is that you will eventually get to go…but only when it is safe to do so. How many times have we wanted to move onto our “next”, demonstrate an area of growth, take something we either want or have been promised, and come to a stop sign?

How long do we wait? You might be single and you are tired of being single. But you have a red light, or a stop sign. You see couple after couple whizzing by on the highway of life, and you are ready to merge. How long must you wait? You could very well be a broadside waiting to happen!

Determining when it is “safe to do so” is not up to you! It is not based on your impatience or tolerance for staying in place. God has a plan for you and it involves multiple factors, one of which is timing. Wait on the Lord. Don’t get broadsided.

When this lady decided to go, she not only caused an accident for her and the person she hit, she also created a significant delay for all those around her. Many teams and organizations (read churches) have been slowed or diverted because somebody didn’t wait. The ensuing crash slowed all the traffic on the “highway to heaven”.

The body of Christ is one. He has one body. Just one. When all the members are operating as they should, there is a natural flow and like a well-planned intersection, things move in an orderly fashion.

Don’t be the source of a broadside. Wait until the time is right. His time, not yours. Stop signs and red lights are not always only about you. Others need to get to their “next” as well. Wait on the Lord and only move when He says it is safe to do so.

“Forecast…” (by Mel McGuire)

A dad tells a story of encouraging (read making) his kids to dress for rainy weather. He had seen the forecast. They protested, as kids do, especially teenager types, but they complied. Umbrellas, jackets, and whatnot in tow, they rode to school.

As soon as they arrived, the skies opened…the rain clouds parted, giving way to bright sunshine and a gentle breeze.

The dad was left to question God as to why He (God) had worked it out so that he (the dad) was more than likely the subject of a couple of pretty good “side-eyes”. (Again, teenager types!)

I found it humorous and convicting at the same time. Most parents, if we are honest, have been guilty of erring on the side of caution when it comes to the safety and well-being of our kids.

We LIKE being right! Our life experience must count for something when technology and fashion blows past us like Usain Bolt!

From the kid’s perspective, there are times when parents tell us things that we do not see, understand, or agree with. That is okay, parents pay attention to the forecast. It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

You can fold an umbrella, you can carry a jacket if you don’t need them. It may cramp your style, but better that than getting ill because you insisted on being cool and fashionable, and get caught in a downpour you were not prepared for.

God will often tell you to take things you will not use, and prepare for things that eventually do not come. But the things He gives us are NOT a heavy burden. He said his burden was light, and his yoke is easy. This is one way to learn obedience.

From the parent’s perspective, God is sovereign. The forecast is the forecast and should not be ignored. But He is still in control and He can do whatever He wants. He does not have to obtain our favor nor our approval.

When there is a chance of rain, or any form of inclement weather, we are wise to be prepared. So, in life, if there is conflict, confusion, competition in the forecast, we should take His peace, His mind, and His humility with us.

Sometimes just knowing that you have His character is enough to avoid unpleasant situations. There is a confidence in knowing you will not be moved by pettiness or foolishness. When we KNOW we are ready to pass a test, it really is okay if the test does not come.

What is in your forecast? Are you prepared for what is coming? I live in Southern California. It does me no good to prepare for east coast weather. Pay less attention to your neighbor’s forecast and more to your own!

Do what God is telling YOU to do, and don’t worry about what He may or may not be telling someone else.

I am sure my friend’s kids got grief from friends for being over prepared…kind of like Noah. Look up, check the forecast; those clouds that parted, can also return.

J.A.R.V.I.S. (by Mel McGuire)

One of my pastors preached a message in which he used “Iron Man” to talk about what it means to be “in Christ”, using the Iron Man suit as in a symbolic way to illustrate how we are better “in him”. And he had to mention the “voice inside the suit”, aka JARVIS.

In his illustration, he reminded me of how Tony Stark, (Iron Man) would be in constant communication and corroboration with Jarvis. In the Marvel comics, Jarvis was Stark’s loyal butler but in the movie, Jarvis is the artificial intelligence that serves as Stark’s assistant.

Jarvis is the one who manages the suit, who monitors its functions and knows it’s capabilities and limitations. Iron Man relies on his wisdom, his counsel, and his honesty to perform his superhero activities.

In the film, you can see how Jarvis can show Tony things he otherwise does not see outside of his alter ego, Iron Man. He can call up information upon demand, and allows Iron Man to function at his maximum capacity and ability.

Of course, this led to me to consider the ministry of the Holy Spirit and His role in my life. If I am honest, my walk with Christ, my walk in Christ, is always easier and better when I access that “voice in my head”, the Holy Spirit. Like Jarvis, He is here to serve and make me better.

He acts as a counselor, a comforter or companion, and His wisdom and insight is irreplaceable. His presence, and my reliance upon it, allows me to operate not only most efficiently, but with full power.

He allows me to see things I otherwise could not, for He is tuned to the real world, the spiritual one. If I allow Him, He will monitor and manage my functions and keep me in the best possible position to perform at peak capacity.

Like Jarvis, He serves as an early warning system, advising when I am approaching dangerous limits. And like Jarvis, I can choose to ignore or refuse His counsel. In that case, He simply recalculates and is always ready to step in and do work at whatever point of crisis I may find myself.

If you can imagine Iron Man without Jarvis, (I cannot, the relationship is such a HUGE part of who Iron Man is to me), that would be most believers absent the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit.

But just like Tony Stark steps out of his Iron Man suit, there are times I simply disregard the impact of the Holy Spirit in my life. It happens.

We would all like to think that if we had the power and ability of Iron Man, we would never take the suit off! We would just become Iron Man and do hero stuff all day every day.

But if we still ignore our God-given “JARVIS”, then we are not ready to be super(natural) all day every day. Just like Iron Man is better with Jarvis, so too are we better when we walk in agreement with the Holy Spirit.

Open your eyes, open your ears, open your heart to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is here to help, to make us all not just better, but our best.

“Shellfish…” (by Mel McGuire)

I was recently challenged by good friends to write on this subject. They sent me a video of a rabbi explaining how a lobster becomes uncomfortable in its shell as it grows and thus, develops a new shell, shedding the old one in a process called molting.

Crabs do this as well, and I used the image of a crab because quite frankly, it was easier to look at and distinguish between the old and the new. Molting is simply a process by which the old is removed so the new can take its place.

Like the lobster, the crab outgrows it shell. It becomes uncomfortable and begins to take on water so the old shell will swell. Meanwhile, the new shell, in the form of an exoskeleton, is formed underneath the old one.

Whereas the old shell is hard, the new one is soft and flexible. At some point, the process of molting begins and as the picture sequence illustrates, the old is replaced by the new. Notice however, that the new shell is larger than the one it replaced, the one it came out of.

Often God uses a similar growth process with His children. We become uncomfortable with certain areas of our life because we simply out grow them. It could be a relationship, a job, a lifestyle choice, or even a church or ministry.

Most shellfish, once the new soft skin is revealed, hide under a rock and stay there for a few weeks until their new shell is hard enough to provide protection against predators and their environment. Lobsters will eat the old shell, benefiting from the calcium it contains to speed up the hardening process of the new shell. Selah.

Instinctively, they understand that as a larger crab, they will face larger predators. And some of the predators they used to fear they can now ignore, because they have outgrown them. At the same time, places they used to fit in…they no longer can. BOOM.

As we grow in Christ, we also need to understand, “new level, new devil”, which technically is not true (the devil is the same old vile rascal), but the point being that as you mature, you must be able to deal with a different kind of spiritual attack.

You must take what you can, lessons learned for example, from the old to the new place, so you can become fully functional faster. Don’t reinvent every wheel.

As with the crab, some of the places you used to go and hide, will no longer protect you. You just don’t fit in there anymore! Don’t be afraid to hide “in the Rock” (that would be Jesus), until you are fully prepared to walk in your new station in life.

Understanding the process of molting will help us change our perspective on being uncomfortable. We will not automatically just seek to ease the pain, for doing so might stunt or restrict your growth!

God can use discomfort to prepare you for your next place. Leaders, for example, need to have thicker skin to deal with the criticism and judgment from subordinates. Sometimes the things that bother you are signs that you need to molt; shed the old and welcome the new.

Learn from the shellfish, and be willing to grow by replacing the old with something bigger, stronger, safer…something new.

“Evacuate… (by Mel McGuire)

Corpus Christi,TX, 8/22/99 The threat of Hurricane Bret, being rated at a force four, led to Padre Island and Corpus Christi being evacuated. Here, wise residents under the advance winds and rains that lead the main storm, jam Hwy 37 heading NW towards San Antonio out of Corpus Christi. Photo by DAVE GATLEY/FEMA News Photo

I am writing this during “Hurricane season”. I just happen to live in “earthquake country”, so I am not directly impacted by the various levels of tropical storms and hurricanes that threaten our country every year. Even if I did, I wouldn’t be…because I would evacuate.

I marvel at the people, given ample warning and amidst threats of biblical devastation, refuse to leave areas that are almost certain to be hammered by Hurricane “fill in the blank”.

Evacuate. This year saw newscasters go to unprecedented lengths to convince or even scare people into leaving. And still, faced with all the latest and updated information, there are those diehards who refuse to evacuate.

The image kind of tells the tale. The majority of folks are going one way…out, away from trouble. But not all. And when they choose to stay, it forces others to stay as well, so someone will be available to come and rescue those who refused to evacuate.

Now, before I get blasted for criticizing certain people, I am NOT talking about those who get caught in hurricanes because they couldn’t get out. I am talking about people who choose to stay when they could have left. There is a difference.

There are some hurricanes in our lives as believers too. When everyone and everything around is telling you to evacuate, do you choose to stay? Some of us stayed in relationships…we thought we could “ride it out”, only to be devastated in the end. Evacuate.

Sometimes it is a habit, a sin (let’s be honest) that is giving warning after warning that we will not be able to withstand its effects…and we choose to stay. And our friends, our pastors, our family…have to stay close as well. So they can come to our rescue…again.

Evacuate. Stop thinking you are so different or indestructible that you will be able to fix stuff as it breaks. Like a man thinking he will simply repair his freshly damaged roof in one hundred miles an hour winds! Evacuate.

Think about it. Listen to those who have survived the very storms you are about to face, learn from our foolish mistakes. When God says go, pack your stuff and go. Period.

There are times we all need to rebuild, and hurricanes can force you into that place. There is no need for you to risk your life, spiritual or natural, to save something God has slated for destruction.

To evacuate is not a sign of fear, or of defeat. Often it is a sign of wisdom and obedience. Whether it be a relationship, an institution, a job, a residence, or a lifestyle…when hurricane season comes, and the word is to “get out while you can” …evacuate.

God’s way of escape is not always to walk through the fire, or to put the fire out. Keeping you from the fire is just as powerful a testimony. Evacuate.

“Sidecar…” (by Mel McGuire)

I have been having a lot of discussions lately about marriage and the transitions from being single to dating, to being in a relationship, to marriage.

I was reminded of the image of a tandem motorcycle team and the various positions acquired by the “co-pilot”, the person NOT in control of the gas and brake or steering…the person riding (?) in the sidecar.

You see, a single rider on a bike designed for racing, leans into turns and uses their body position to maximize the amount of tire that is in contact with the track.

The more tire you can keep gripping the track, the faster you can go. In racing this is a good thing. Single people, like solo riders, should understand their own limits;  handling, speed, and the combination of the two.

When you enter into sidecar riding, the whole setup is different. Both parties need to understand this and adjust accordingly. Their common goal is to keep the cycle and sidecar going around the track as efficiently as possible.

How they do it is vastly different when there is a sidecar involved. Dating requires a different “setup” in that you have to be mindful of the other person and how things impact them.

The “co-pilot” (aka “the monkey”, but not in this article, lest I offend…) is a pretty good rider themselves, maybe even better as a solo entry than the pilot…BUT in order for the tandem to be the best, they bring their skill set to the sidecar. Be careful how deep a relationship you enter with a selfish, self-centered person.

As some relationships progress, traditional roles and responsibilities may have to take a side seat in order for the relationship to be at its best. This is different than simply dating, because it involves commitment and sacrifice.

Depending on which way the tandem cycle is heading, the co-pilot will be in a different position. On a straightaway, speed is maximized by better aerodynamics, so the co-pilot may be tucked in behind the driver, almost out of sight. This reduces drag and increases efficiency.

Sometimes in a relationship, one person must temporarily operate in the shadow of the other in order for the tandem to be most efficient. But tandem racing is NOT only done in a straight line, both right and left turns must be negotiated.

When turning to the right, the co-pilot will be on the pilot’s right, leaning as far into the turn as possible, appearing to be right beside the pilot working in unison to get the cycle through the turn. Sometimes couples must pull in the same direction at the same time to succeed.

Then there are the left turns, the ones where the co-pilot looks as if they are trying to get as far away from the pilot as possible…and you know what? They are! By leaning into the turn and fighting against the natural force that would turn the cycle over, the co-pilot allows the cycle to go around the turn quickly and safely.

Though it appears they are far apart, they are actually working together, and it is in the left turns, that the unity and teamwork is most important!

Sometimes one person looks like they are taking all the risk in order to keep the team progressing. It could be in prayer, or a leap of faith perhaps, as one follows hard after God ahead of their partner. Once the turn, or season of life, is complete, they will come back together and prepare for the next challenge.

Marriage is like sidecar racing. It takes two, working together to win or lose together. One job may look harder, but each is equally important…any communication issues should be worked out on the practice track, NOT during the race! They race one cycle with one number.

Racing (marriage) is NOT for novices, but skilled riders who understand and appreciate the value of their partner. They finish as a team, and both must cross the finish line in order to be counted…selah.