Kind of a big deal.
A few years ago, Kia and I, along with her family hosted conferences for portrait photographers all around the country. Each year, we would pick a different city – typically a warm weather town during winter – and invite hundreds of photographers to join us.
It was a lot of fun.
Part of the fun was being in front of people, interacting and joining conversations. It was our conference, so everyone knew us. We were kind of a big deal. This was a great thing, unless…
…you have a black-eye.
A Shiner for the Ages
One year, I had already traveled to the host town for preparation. Kia was still at home, so she could spend as much time with the kids as possible.
Kia was laying in bed chilling out with our youngest a few hours before she had to leave. As she was laying, Chilton did what 2-year-olds do when playing in mom and dad’s bed. He sat up and fell back full weight into the soft bed and covers.
You already know where this is going, but on one of those dives, the back of Chilton’s head landed squarely with Kia’s eye. It swelled. It blackened.
Kia looked like a Mike Tyson first round knock out.
Measuring pain
By the time I heard about it, the physical pain had subsided. Kia was now dealing with the emotional pain/embarrassment of going in front of all of her peers with this unbelievable shiner. The pain she felt on initial impact was nothing compared to walking in public with this HUGE black-eye.
It wasn’t just her either. Every time I was with her and a new person encountered her eye, I felt the need to explain things. It definitely was NOT me who had given her the black eye…it was my kid!
…sigh…
God and black-eyes.
In the book of Luke, Jesus tells a story about a widow seeking justice from an unjust judge. This woman has nothing going for her. She’s a woman. She’s a woman without family. She is on the losing end of an argument. Her last line of recourse is with a judge who cares nothing for her or the law.
The only thing she has going for her is her undying persistence. She won’t leave this judge alone. Day after day she shows up at his office to demand justice.
Finally, the judge relents and rules in her favor.
In reading about this passage, the Greek wording gives the picture of this widow’s persistence like giving the judge a continual right jab to the eye. Her persistence embarrasses him; it points to his inaction. It’s a black-eye on his record.
What do you want? Don’t give up!
Jesus’ point is clear. God is far from an unjust judge. He is the model of righteousness. If a judge who cares nothing for anyone is willing to listen to persistence, how much more will God.
There are 2 important keys:
1. Know what you want.
This point is too often overlooked. The woman’s persistence would have amounted to nothing if she didn’t have a specific demand for the judge to meet. To often we walk through life expecting God to make things better, but we have no idea what “better” is.
What is it you want? Do you know?
It’s a big question, because it changes how you look at life. It changes your vision.
I’ll offer this last bit of advice. If you are stuck on determining what your dream is, ask God. He longs to dream with us. He wants to walk with us through the entire process. His dream is to fulfill your dreams with Him…together.
2. Don’t give up.
Be persistent. Keep asking. Continue to knock.
God is good, and He longs to pour His mercy, grace and blessing on our lives.
More than that, God wants to see our dreams come true. Don’t be discouraged because the timing doesn’t seem right. God is using that to work His purpose into your life.
Keep that right jab coming.
My dream.
David, the lead pastor at Cross Points Church, has asked the church and the staff to “circle” our dreams. You can read more about this concept from Mark Batterson in his book The Circle Maker.
Not only has David asked us to dream, but he’s asked us to share our dreams out loud. I have several dreams, but the foremost is a house.
I want a house…a home for our family.
I believe God has called the Bondurant family to Shawnee, Kansas to impact our community. I know a house is an important part of this process.
Unfortunately, the process has been slow going. We found one that fit everyone’s bill last summer, but we were outbid. Since that time, we’ve looked at dozens of house online and in person with no luck.
While we’ve waited, I’ve been the picture of the widow in Luke. I’ve told God that He had called us to Shawnee. I’ve told Him, it was His job to find us a house. I’ve said it’s His name that’s on the line.
God came through.
Last week, we found a house.
It was out of the blue…completely unexpected. It is in the right neighborhood. It is the perfect size. It is surrounded by acres of woods. As Kia and I have talked about it, it’s more and better than we could have asked for.
It’s not what we expected. It’s more.
I’m not done.
I’m not done knocking. The house isn’t all the way ours. We’re in the middle of inspections. Things can get messed up.
If this is the house that is supposed to be ours, I want God to make it ours.
It’s his eye that’s on the line.
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