Brace Yourself...

"Brace yourself, this is not going to be good" were the words that came out of my mouth just moments before being involved in an automobile accident this week.  Traveling down Highway 184, 3.5 miles from Iva, South Carolina (U.S.A.), I noticed someone pulling out into the highway and realizing immediately that there was going to be a coliseum.  "Bam!  Crunch! Crunch! Bam!  Air bags inflated, dust from the air bags going everywhere, and the smell of a busted radiator.  This was not the way I had planned the day. 


Anyone that knows me knows that I will often "map out" a trip and plan to visit with a few friends along the way.  If it is a trip to the nearby town that I do my personal business or a trip cross country to do ministry, I usually try to make the best use of my time and resources while traveling.  I will estimate distance to different points and estimate time of travel as well as time of stay in each location.  Wednesday morning I left early with plenty of time to spare and to accomplish all of my goals for that day, when this accident occurred.  How quick our plans can change!

This is true with our life.  James says it well when he says, ""whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  it is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14 NKJV). 


My statement the last couple of days, after the accident, is "I am just glad to be alive."  I know God's hand of protection is always on my life and especially this week with just a minor cut on the hand from the wreck.  Thank God for His goodness and His hand of protection!

I did take a few detours that day including a trip to the hospital in an ambulance, but God still allowed me to make all of my appointments for that day.  God always makes provision to get us where He wants us and that day it included having a great friend in the area that took his day to transport me around the rest of the afternoon.

 And yes, I do have plans for tomorrow but plans often unexpectedly change!

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER?

A sobering question came into my mind this morning, "Am I adding value to the team?"  John Maxwell asked the question in his book The 5 Levels of Leadership "Are other members of the team improving or producing more as a result of my presence?  If not, why not?"  And if not, what are some things I can do to help others live more productive lives?  Jesus knew the value of people and so people were not a source of stress but a source of joy to Him.

My prayer this morning is: Lord help me to"...think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds."  Hebrews 10:25 (NCV) Help me to invest wisely in the lives of others so that it will yield a high return.

When this happens it not only affects that person you are investing in, but an immeasurable number of people that they also will influence possibly for years to come.  What do you have to bring to the table today to offer your team?  The greatest investment you can make today is by adding value to someone else. 

Five simple suggestions of how to make a wise investment:

1. Don't procrastinate - the opportunity to invest in someone close to you may be here today but gone tomorrow. 
2. Pray daily - Ask God daily to help you to be in the right places at the right time to make the right investments in people.
3. Use the right tools - Words can be the best tool you have if use rightly.  Be an encourager to others.
4. Be a team player - If you were playing the game basketball I would say "don't hog the ball".  Let others contribute to the game of life.
5. Praise others - for their accomplishments and for being a team player. 

I am sure there are many other things you can do to be the most valuable player on the team but remember being the most valuable player is not necessarily always the one that get the most points.  Sometimes it is the one that is the greatest leader on the team.