A BUCKET OF PRAYERS

 There is a story that John wrote about while he was exiled on a little island many years ago.  It’s contained in the book we now call Revelations.  Now I’m no authority on Revelations.  I’m not sure I’m an authority on much of anything.  But when I read this account, it just jumped up and blessed my heart so much, I thought I needed to write about it.

In John’s account of this happening, in the 5^th chapter of Revelations, there is a special book that is sealed with seven seals.  Apparently it is a very important book.  No one is found in heaven or earth who is worthy to open this book.  John is troubled about this situation and weeps because there is no one to open the book. 

But then The Lamb stood up, obviously worthy, and took the book.  In verse 8 John tell us that when The Lamb takes the book some very touching stuff happens.  Twenty-four “elders” and four “beast”.  (You can study this and figure out your own call on who these guys are)  fell down before The Lamb and opened up containers full of “odors” or sweet smells.  John tells us that these sweet smells are the prayers of the saints.   

Now I am a father.  The older I get the more I realize that some of the things I do, the way I act, the little idiosyncrasies that I possess, have come down somehow from my earthly father.  For instance, I remember that my Dad kept the cards, notes and letters that his children sent to him.  I still have his Bible and inside the pages of that Bible are notes that I sent him many years ago. 

He kept those notes and cards because they meant something to him, not because they were well written, not because I used prefect English and wrote in beautiful script, but because he loved the one who sent them. I do the same with my kids and grand kids.  I have several drawers of cards and notes that have been given to me and my Bible is crammed with notes and cards from the one’s I love.  

As I read John’s story I was blown away that God our Heavenly Father does the same thing.  When His children pray, when they call out to Him, when their hearts are breaking under the struggles of this old world, or when they call out to Him in joy and praise…..it means something special to God.  So God takes a container, oh the Word calls it a vial, I’ll call it a bucket, and He places our prayers into that bucket to keep.  He puts them in a special place so He can remember them from time to time.  It may be on a shelf or in a special room or out in His heavenly barn, but He keeps them.

 I wonder if He does what I do.  I wonder on days when it’s raining in heaven and God can’t get out and work in the field, or when He has nothing better to do if He just happens upon that bucket and opens it up and listen to some of those prayers?

But John tells us that on that special day, that all those buckets will be “tumped” over and those prayers will be poured out.  The smell of them, the sweet, passionate, fervent smell of them will fill all of heaven.   

It just almost more than I can imagine to think that the almighty God values my prayers.  The stumbling, bumbling, stuttering attempts I make at communicating with Him are something that blesses His old heart.  I doubt very seriously that I ever get my prayers right.  I doubt that anyone will ever write down one of my prayers and repeat it before thousands of people…..but one day, don’t miss this, one day 24 guys will pour out a bucket full of my prayers on the streets of gold and they will slosh around at the foot of the throne of God and they will make “Daddy God” smile.

That makes me want to pray a little more often.  It makes me want to spend a little more time with Him.  Makes me want to skip the “now I lay me down to sleep” or “God is great, God is good” prayers and do some serious communicating with my Father. 
 

I hope you will find a place today to send up a few words to God that will make Him smile.  And I hope that I will be around one day when they open up those “buckets of prayers”.  May something you and I say to God be something that will make Heaven smell just a little better.  May my prayers and your prayers mix together and be “heavenly air fresheners” that Johnson and Johnson and Fabreze could never come close to matching. 

UN-SUPERHERO'S

 For years I have entertained the idea of writing a novel.  Now if you are reading this you probably realize that my aspiration is a bad idea.  I can’t spell, my grammar is awful, I’m not good with sentence structure and I’m awful with character development just to name a few reasons that this would not work.  But I do think I have a good idea for a novel.

Most good novels have one or two hero’s.  These are strong, brave, smart, courageous people who take matters into their own hands and do super stuff like saving the world or stomping out evil villains.  In our society we think of solders, law enforcement officers, firemen and the like as those superheros.  But my book would present a different concept.  

 

I would first present the reader with the characters of the story.  There would be the town chief law enforcement official.  I would develop this character as strong, smart and a man who can take control of any situation.  Another character would be a buff, muscular, fearless firefighter who is looked up to as a man who can do anything from carrying little old ladies down the ladder from a burning building to saving cats from trees. He would be the one people would turn to in any emergency.  I might introduce a city or county leader who has a cool and calm demeanor and can lead his people in things that need to be done to keep themselves safe.  Another might be a war hero who is back home and ready to lead the people he has served. 

But then I’d introduce the reader to some other folk.  These guys would be the “not so special” people of the town.  Perhaps the town drunk.  Perhaps a guy who has lost his job and his home to bankruptcy.  I might introduce a single mother who is struggling to make ends meet or a troubled teen with more questions than answers.  I might acquaint you with an elderly person considered by the populace as useless, helpless and a imposition on their community. 

Then I’d drop all of these people into a disastrous situation.  It might be a train wreck, a plane crash, a civil disturbance or some other circumstance that would challenge and endanger the community.  Then we would watch as the normal leaders and hero’s fall apart and lose control of the incident and unceremoniously, the common, every day, no-bodies, step in, take over and heroically save the day. 

These un-superheros would somehow turn into SUPERHEROS.  They would be right up there with Superman, Batman, The Green Lantern or whatever other champion you might envision.  Through their common sense approach and their unassuming, clear headed thinking they would “get’er done”. 

Of course that is just the short version of the book.  But can you see the attraction here?  I can see you right now associating yourself with one of these un-superheros? You are wondering who would play you in the movie version.  Which movie star would they cast in the role of you?    

 Good idea for a book?  Maybe, but I think it’s already been done.  As I read the little book called “The Acts of the Apostles” I see that someone, a doctor named Luke, has taken my idea and with the help of The Holy Spirit, developed it into a best seller.

He tells how fishermen, tax collectors and “table waiters” move in obedience to the Spirit’s leading and not only beat the bad guy but literally “save the world” by introducing them to Jesus. Luke tells how God uses the little guys, the unknowns, the untrained, the uneducated of this world to accomplish His goals.   

There are enough Superhero’s in the world.  What we need are a few good, obedient, un-superhero’s who are led by the Spirit and looking for an opportunity to do something extraordinary in an ordinary way.