The Phil Files

We joke that we have two seasons in West Texas — hot and hotter. In reality, we do have some cold weather in parts of December, January, and February. But we don’t have autumn: we call fall, football season or hunting season. Donna grew up in Ohio with autumn as her favorite season. With the rolling hills and big trees of southern Ohio decked out in a breathtaking array of colors, and the smell and feel of autumn in the air, I can understand why: it is a beauty experienced. However, Donna insists we don’t have autumn in Texas. We accurately call is fall. In her words, “It’s 95 one day, a norther blows through and it’s 25 the next night. On the third day, all the leaves fall off the trees and blow to Mexico.”

Our family, however, is going through a major change of seasons right now. Megan is begins Physical Therapy school. Donna has headed back to teaching for the year. I am geared up for the school year and it’s opportunities at Southern Hills — at church, we describe three seasons of the year (or ministry): Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and Summer Vacation.

But yesterday marked a huge change of seasons for us. Tiny, our miniature dachshund for 12 1/2 years had his back go out this weekend. Megan and I knew before we took him to the vet yesterday what the outcome would be, we just couldn’t talk about it. Tiny has been there for the kids journeys through high school, barking at everything that moved and never slowing down. Until the last two months, he would literally drag us on a two mile walk. It was a hard hour at the vet’s: they were kind, but we still came home without him. Lexi — our little black shy dachshund — looks lost without her guardian and keeper. With a bunch of other pressure, Donna’s start to school and continuing battle with IC, deep concern for a friend who is in the hospital ICU, the AC man stepping through the ceiling in the attic, and now Tiny’s goodbye, it’s been a rugged couple of weeks.

Changes in season are like that sometimes. We often romanticize how the summer slips into Indian summer, and then autumn gently falls upon us. But that’s seldom the way it is. Summer’s green gives way to winter’s chill with withering heat, then thunder, lightning, wind, flash-floods, and cold. We marvel at the flash, we are often humbled by the thunder, and we are rightfully fearful when the showers become torrents. Yet through the pandemonium of it all, we know we will emerge out of it into a new season of shorter days, cooler weather, and the richness of Thanksgiving and the joys of Christmas. So we, those of us in the Warehouse, wait for the flash, rumble, and torrents to pass and trust that somewhere beyond this time lies a great feast and the joy of Jesus.

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly (Psalm 5:3 tniv).

In the morning, Lord!

Being in around Alaska this last week has reminded me of the dynamic, ever-moving, always changing, contantly in motion nature of life. This movement is necessary for life. Tides come and go, stirring the oceans and impacting our atmosphere with constant motion. Seasons change, the amount of daylight varies, temperatures shift and life is enhanced. Glaciers move, ice melts, rivers run and life is stirred. People move from region to another — for a variety of reasons and lives collide and life is changed.

Clearly, some things shouldn’t and mustn’t change. Jesus IS the same — yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8 NAS). But even in His steadfast love and mercy, the LORD is constantly bringing fresh surprises into the lives of His people (Lamentations 3:22-23 NRS). Renewal and transformation are the vital dynamics, the ever-moving and always changing, constantly in motion parts of a living walk with God — the are evidence of the Holy Spirit’s essential work of conforming us to Christ Being in around Alaska this last week has reminded me of the dynamic, ever-moving, always changing, contantly in motion nature of life. This movement is necessary for life. Tides come and go, stirring the oceans and impacting our atmosphere with constant motion. Seasons change, the amount of daylight varies, temperatures shift and life is enhanced. Glaciers move, ice melts, rivers run and life is stirred. People move from region to another — for a variety of reasons and lives collide and life is changed.

Clearly, some things shouldn’t and mustn’t change. Jesus IS the same — yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8 NAS). But even in His steadfast love and mercy, the LORD is constantly bringing fresh surprises into the lives of His people (Lamentations 3:22-23 NRS). Renewal and transformation are the vital dynamics, the ever-moving and always changing, constantly in motion parts of a living walk with God (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NRS).

So the question comes to me … and to you as well:

What needs motion a d change in my life and what needs to be more centered on what is unchangeable?

Sometimes a picture — or a cardboard testimony — is worth more than 1000 words. We so often limit our talk about the resurrection of Jesus and what it means to us to Easter time. But, each Sunday proclaims that the Lord is risen and His power is available to transform us if we will just walk with Him. Why? Because He loves us!

More than twenty years ago, a young lady and her mother ran a red light and slammed into a friend of mine as we were going through an intersection. I was in the back seat of his Suburban. She was going 65 mph, and we were the second vehicle through the intersection. I knew almost immediately that I was hurt — not severely hurt, but my shoulder and my arm were numb. However, the other car was totally demolished and so we rushed to make sure the folks in the other car were OK. After a trip to the hospital, everyone turned out to be okay — very shaken up, bumps and bruises, but not disastrous injuries.

I was, however, left with a stiff neck from time-to-time. Over the years, I’ve had therapy, decompression and several other things done to help alleviate the problem. Now I just make sure I stretch several times a day and everything is fine. No problems … until a few days ago.These last few days have been one of the “from time-to-time” periods in my life. I’ve had that sorry ol’ stiff neck. It’s getting better every day, but I can tell you that it makes me grumpy, impatient, and a bit of a “whiny baby” — okay, my family might drop the line “bit of a” for the words “a big ol’ whiny baby.” Most of all, I’m not very open to suggestions. I try to be pliable and cooperative, but I know I’m not. As I said, what I am is grumpy, impatient, and a bit of a “whiny baby.”

This morning, I woke up thinking about all that God said about stiff-necked people — click here for a list. The image refers to an ox or donkey that would stiffen its neck and refuse to cooperate while yoked to do work or haul a cart. As we say around these parts, “they’d bow their neck up” and refuse to do what you want. This image of a “stiff-necked” became a living metaphor for God’s people and their unwillingness to respond to God. He would try to do good for them. He would call them to obedience. He would try to prevent destruction from happening to them. Instead, they would become stiff-necked and go their own way … and disaster would fall on them.

The interesting thing as I read these passages and their context, however, is that my self-admitted description of having a stiff neck was as applicable to the Israelites as the ox and donkey explanation. God’s people were grumpy, impatient, and a bunch of “whiny babies.”

Ouch! Convicting! I don’t want to be like those hard-headed and rebellious people.

So the question that I have had to face this morning does not have to do with my physical condition of being stiff-necked — that will pass in another day or two — but it has more to do with my spiritual condition of being stiff-necked.

About what parts of my spiritual life am I grumpy, impatient, and a “whiny baby”?

Where am I spiritually stiff-necked?

Why do I bow my neck against the will of the Lord?

But maybe the most important question for all of us, “How am I going to be more pliable and allow God change me and mold me to His will?”