Darkness in and of itself is a challenge. When you couple darkness with a place that should be shining with light, it becomes a true test. Such is the case in our church’s sanctuary. The fixtures are original with the building, circa 1973. Bulbs burn out and can’t be replaced. Wiring that’s forty feet off the floor has to be inspected. LED bulbs would bring 21st century light to the situation.

Do you have any idea how much it costs to upgrade lights in a church? Take a guess. Consider: new fixtures, new wiring, new dimmers, the cost of labor, rental of a hydraulic lift. Before you know it the total is at least $75,000.

Most churches don’t just have $75,000 lying around. Ours certainly didn’t. So in January the Church Council decided to present our congregation with an audacious challenge: Raise pledges of at least $75,000 by the end of February, or we won’t move forward with the project. It was a wise move. People are tired of the dimly lit room. They want to be able to see very important Words. And people tend to give monetary resources to things that are tangible — like lights that will help them see every Sunday.

So we had roughly six weeks to raise commitments of $75,000. It was a true step of faith. People told me they didn’t think we could do it. But I’ve seen it done before. I watched a central city congregation I served raise the money to build a $2.5 million addition to a school.

Sometimes people simply need to be challenged. They need a compelling reason and a strong goal in order to move forward. That’s what we had. And it meant that we reached the goal even before the deadline.

So we took another step. We presented our people with a “stretch goal.” If we could raise $90,000 we could also take care of some of our outdoor lighting, as well as the lighting in our other buildings. As I write this we stand at about $82,000.

It’s amazing what people will do when they are challenged. Divine intervention and human competitiveness, along with an added dose of self-interest, have completed many a project and reached many a goal.

This isn’t just true for churches and organizations. It is also true for individuals.

So I’m challenging you today to set for yourself a goal that you’ve always thought was just a bit out of your reach. Write it down. Post it in a prominent place. Set a deadline for yourself. Have someone hold you accountable.

I’m betting that you’ll get results. You might even pleasantly surprise yourself and move past it to something bigger and better. Go ahead. Take the step today.

What audacious challenge have you placed before yourself, and then went ahead and made it happen?

They’ve worked for you before, but maybe you’ve forgotten. Sometimes you wonder why you don’t get anything accomplished. There is procrastinating, time wasting, and a checklist with no checks. Then someone gives you a deadline and you move heaven and earth to finish not just on time, but ahead of time.

Our son, Ben, is a musician in Nashville, Tennessee. He is self-proclaimed perfectionist. When he writes and records music it tends to be at a snail’s pace. He wants every last note, mix, and tone to be perfectly perfect. And that takes time.

But now that he’s relying more on his music for income it’s a different story. Recently a deadline came before him in an unexpected manner. He was selected to perform at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. When the music company he works for heard he was going to South By Southwest they wanted to help him make the most of it. So they gave him a deadline to finish an EP he’s been working on. They figured if they could release the EP immediately following South by Southwest they could get a promotional bounce for it, along with Spotify playlists, and potentially commercials or TV shows.

So they gave him a deadline. Never have I seen Ben work so fast on his music. Not only did he have a deadline, but he in turn gave one to the musicians and producers with whom he was working. Now everyone was on the same page. It was sometimes a headache to get everything coordinated. There were a few tense times. But…

The EP was finished on time. In fact I heard the final masters of it this past week. (Watch for it at the end of this month.) Even Ben needed reminders along the way that he was going to have to put his perfectionism to the side. One of his producers said: “You have to remember that no record is perfectly perfect. Each one is simply a snapshot in time. Let the art, at that moment in time, stand for itself.”

So set deadlines for yourself. Or better yet, have someone else set some deadlines for you (the accountability will be that much better).

And let each finished project be a snapshot in time. Let the art of that completed work stand for itself. Then take stock of what you learned. Move on to the next project. And improve.

A deadline is a good thing.

What deadline can you set for yourself today?

The other night I had a dream about Donald Trump. Bizarre, I know. But that’s not the kind of dreaming I want to talk about in this post. I want to talk about the kind of dreams that inspire, propel, and move you forward toward a goal or objective. Now is the time of year to do just that.

Here’s why. The New Years’ glitter has worn off. We’ve entered the third month of the calendar. Now we’re down to the nitty gritty. Those goals you set at the beginning of the year — or even last year — are further in the rear view mirror (unless you’ve been reviewing them every week, hint hint). You’re probably back into the routine of the “non-holiday” time of year. That’s why it’s time to take major steps toward your dreams.

It would be wise right now to make some plans for the rest of the year. Those plans ought to be jumping off points that will fulfill or make major strides toward the things you want to accomplish this year. Not only that, but they will give you something to which you can look forward.

For instance, I’ve got three big things that have me brimming with excitement and anticipation:

• I’m going to a one-day writing workshop presented by one of my favorite authors. It will benefit the writing that I do both vocationally and avocationally.
• My wife, Tammy, and I are attending a two-day workshop on social media and online presence. It will help both Tammy’s business and the ability of our church to share some Good News.
• We are planning a trip this summer to England and Italy. It’ll be the first time Tammy will have ever had the opportunity to travel overseas. The only other time I’ve been out of the country was when I went to Israel seventeen years ago. I can only imagine the writing it will inspire for me.

In the mean time I’m dreaming about all of these things. One of the great gifts of God is the anticipation of wonderful things. I believe He gives us this gift because we have something to anticipate that is far greater than our greatest earthly dream.

So take some time this weekend to make some plans. Dream a little bit, save a little bit, and research a little bit so that you can do a few things that will be a jumping off point for bigger and better things. Maybe even take a leap this year and do the one thing you’ve always wanted to do but makes you afraid.

You won’t regret it.

What has you dreaming today?

By now you’ve seen the clip. La La Land was announced as the recipient of the 2017 Oscar for Best Picture. Cast and crew climbed up to the stage. There were smiles all around. Nearly all the speeches had been given. Then the bombshell dropped. The wrong envelope was opened and read. The true winner of the 2017 Oscar for Best Picture was Moonlight. The cast and crew of La La Land awkwardly filed off the stage. It’s tough to be on the losing end…especially when you thought you won.

Can you imagine being in that position? I bet you can. You’ve been in that position. You thought you were getting the promotion. Then someone else got it. You thought the check up was going to be fine. Then you discovered you were going to have to have surgery. You were on the favored team. Suddenly you found yourself on the losing end.

It feels horrible. No one likes to lose. Especially if you thought you were going to win.

I’m sure the cast and crew of La La Land are still trying to get over the disappointment and “what ifs.” But a little maturity and a little historical perspective after the passing of time will show us how losing can actually be winning.

I would suggest that losing can provide for you these wins:

• Learning how to be a gracious loser…is a win.
• Observing something the winners did that you didn’t…is a win.
• Seeing God’s grace at work when losing takes you in a surprisingly unexpected direction…is a win.
• Discovering that you have deeper and more enduring character…is a win.
• Finding an opportunity to try again with new lessons learned…is a win.

What surprising thing have you learned and discovered from losing?

Lavern is 98 years old. She’s under hospice care. Who wouldn’t need human touch at that moment in life. I walked into her room to see her lying in her bed. Her eyes were wide open. She was in a much perkier mood than the last time I saw her. The black and white war movie was blaring out of her TV. When she saw me she immediately smiled.

I sat down next to her bed. Then I handed her a little devotion book that she requested. Another smile came across her face. She opened it and started reading out loud Psalm 63: “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you….” And her voice trailed off.

As it did she lifted her hand toward mine and gave it a touch. I knew she wanted to hold my hand so I cradled hers in mine. She looked intently at my hand and said: “You have a ring.”

I said: “Yes, I do.”

She said: “I don’t have one. But that’s all right. …You have a ring.”

I said: “It’s my wedding ring”

She asked: “How many years?”

I had to quickly count the years in my head, and said: “Almost thirty-two.”

She just smiled and sat there in silence holding my hand. She dropped her hand and began reading her little book once again. Then she looked at me and said: “I don’t have a ring.”

And I said: “That’s OK.”

Once again she took my hand again and sat there in silence with a smile on her face. This woman on her death bed was in need of simple human touch. I was glad to provide it.

After I left, out of curiosity I read the rest of Psalm 63. Here’s what I saw:

…I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Today I felt like a messenger of God sent to hold the hand of woman who’s lived nearly a century. I am unworthy. But sometimes human touch makes all the difference in life’s most monumental moments.

More than that, it is the right hand of the Almighty that holds her. And when her most monumental moment finally comes it will be His hand that ushers her home.

When has human touch meant the most to you?

Time is a funny thing. I’ve been doing a great deal of thinking about it lately. I suppose it’s because I have become a grandfather. I simply cannot believe how quickly time passes. Just yesterday I was a child, just in high school, just graduating from college myself. I can remember specific, long ago, points in my history very vividly. But now I’m already a grandfather. And my parents are great-grandparents. How does that happen? It’s all about timing.

Today I heard an interview with Bob Beaudine. Bob is a “head hunter” who has placed some of the most high profile coaches and executives in the country. It was a fascinating interview. But in terms of the issue of time and timing, this is what Bob had to say:

Time is everyone’s enemy. Timing is everyone’s best friend.

As I have been noting recently, time slips away far more quickly than most of us would like. It’s our enemy. I have a nephew and a niece who are getting married this summer. They are publicly counting the days until their weddings. I understand that they’re excited. But I just want to tell them what my sainted grandmother-in-law often said: “Don’t wish your life away.” In other words: the day will come; enjoy each moment; life goes by so quickly…don’t wish it away.”

Time is an enemy because it keeps going and never stops. But timing takes people and places and makes them come together at just the right time. For those of us who view life from the standpoint of faith we see that it is God Himself who creates perfect timing. My interaction with African American Christians has taught me the phrase: “God may not be there when you want Him, but He’s always on time.” And the Bible itself says:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. (2 Peter 3:9)

So here’s the surprise. When you look back through time you can see just how many times the timing was just right. For instance, when I graduated from high school I auditioned for and was selected to become lead singer in the Christian band, Joy, Inc., that traveled the country performing concerts. It just so happened that there was a woman who decided to take a break in the middle of her college career to audition for the group. She was selected to be a singer and also joined the group. Her name was Tammy. Eventually she became my wife.

Timing was everything, and timing was perfect.

When you get discouraged about the speed of time, I’d encourage you to look back and think instead about timing. Take note of the places in your life when the timing was just right. Then think about the One who has put both that time and that timing in place.

When have you seen perfect timing in your life?