What makes a great person "great"?

How do you decide who a "great person" is? Maybe you should think of it this way...think of a great person in your view, and then think of what they did to "earn" that spot in your mind. In my mind the people that I think of who are "great" have become great by the things that they have accomplished, or more specifically a hurdle that they have overcome. Maybe that person is a parent, grandparent, or other family member who has done a fantastic job of investing themselves in you. Maybe that person is a church leader that weathered a storm in their life or a public leader that overcame great hurdles to lead people to a better day.

I was reading another blog today on my day off, and I read about someone I have admired for many reasons from my teenage years. He just let some of his friends know that he has finally overcome a 20 year addiction to pornography. I didn't know what to think because of course I had no idea that was going on in his life. For whatever reason, I didn't think less of him but I admired his courage to face his struggle...which I guess is the way it should be. I'm not saying that we should all run out and get an addiction so that we can overcome it. I guess I have seen too many men give up the fight and fall to their temptation and ruin the lives of so many loved ones around them. The worst part about it is they make excuses along the way as their family members suffer the consequences.

If you want to know what I think about how we should handle them as a church, then read my previous blog "...the only choice they have is their bullets or ours." Without a doubt we should love them and support them. The guy who was writing about it had been in an accountability group with this man for 10 years. Did he have any idea? Did this guy have a "safe place" where he could let his struggle be known without fearing rejection? Do you have people in your life you could share struggles with and know that they will still accept you and support you?

Today, may we have the courage to face the hurdles that come our way and look to help others around us. Don't think that the obstacle you face-- addictions or opportunities-- are what are keeping you from being a great person for God. They are the things that are making you "great."

"...the only choice they have is their bullets or ours."

Have you ever seen Enemy at the Gates? Charissa and I watched it the other night. I thought it was a great movie. By the way, almost any movie that I see is a Clean Films movie (e-mail me for info), so if you see one and it has all kinds of "stuff" through it, sorry. I didn't see the unedited version. Anyway, the scene is set in World War 2. Russia is vigorously defending Stalingrad against the seemingly unstoppable Nazi forces. The beginning of the movie shows literal cattle cars (pad locked to keep soldiers from escaping) rolling up to the battle scene and all of the young soldiers being herded out of the cars...after taking a step back from the imposing scent...and sent directly to the front line. The boats ferrying the soldiers across the river are under heavy attack. Army officers for the Russians keep the soldiers on the boats at all costs, even shooting the ones that jump off of the boat. They land on the other side and are issued weapons...for every other person. One soldier gets a gun, and the other gets a 5-round clip of ammo. There is a man standing above the guns saying, "One man gets a gun, the other man gets ammo. The one without a gun follows the one with a gun. When the one with the gun gets killed, the other man picks up the gun." Brilliant strategy, eh...and very demoralizing. They rush these half-scared young men into battle in a desperation charge where they are mowed down by the Nazi artillery and machine guns. HUNDREDS fall dead, and a young soldier shouts they should all retreat. What do they meet when they fall back? Russians with a few machine guns mowing them down for being "cowards" and retreating.

A few days later the hard-nosed general asks his officers for suggestions. One suggest imprisoning the families of some of the soldiers, another a similar punishment-focused option...all of which are already being done. Then, from somewhere down the line some says, "Give them hope." The general finds the vocal officer and glares him down. The officer suggests giving them hope, giving them pride in the country, giving them stories of heroes to aspire to be like. Other officers are shaking their heads and rolling their eyes the whole time. The thing that the officer said that caught me was, "...the only choice they have is their bullets or ours."

For whatever reason, that stuck with me. "Their bullets or ours." A battle. That is what we are in as Christians...the greatest battle that could ever be fought. So what about the people that we go to church with that need to retreat, maybe from the sins that the Enemy has used to ambush them? Do we open up the 50 cal and let the lead fly...spiritually speaking? Is the only choice that they have to face the literally impenetrable (without God and fellow "soldiers") attacks of the Enemy or turn around and get shot by the bullets that their comrades in arms fire at them?

I'll be honest (see, I'm off to a good start with being honest). I'm not the best at dealing with the retreaters. I want to welcome them, support them, pray for them, but sometimes I really don't know how to handle them. So may things seem to be "ambushes" that I haven't had to face. But what is our attitude? Where is the lead being aimed? By the way, I have no intention of this being a "bad mouth the church" blog. Complaining about the church does not fix problems. Complaining creates them, throws lead in the wrong direction like shooting a tank (instead of redirecting the cannon at the Enemy), and bombshells those around us. I've seen enough teens loose faith in the church because parents are too busy saying what's wrong with the church. Sure, we can sometimes influence others, but ultimately the main thing we can change...and will be held accountable to the General for...is ourselves. What about you? How do you handle the retreaters?

Let's lock and load and melt some barrels firing over the heads of our wounded and retreaters...fellow soldiers...into the front lines of the Enemy...and have the ambulance ready for them so that they can later return to action. Let's give them hope!

The journey begins...

I guess that every journey must have a beginning...and we are just picking up in the middle of my story. To be honest with you (which I will try to do at all times in my blog anyway), I only have this blog spot because I was trying to leave a comment for someone else and I ended up with a blog of my own! Anyway, I plan to leave something funny, interesting, or a thought for you to think about. I'm sure you have seen a scene in movies where a guy (or girl) is writing a letter or a journal and there is someone speaking the words that s/he is writing...the thoughts, feelings, and the like for the character. That is kind of like my blog, and I hope that it helps you in your life...and helps you to get to know me and point to God along the way.

Road trip! Doesn't that get you kind of excited?!? It does to me. Well, this is the road trip of my life, so I hope you're excited! Ready? Let's go!