The Back Table

Is there a restaurant that you go to for the wrong reasons? For example, do you go to International House of Pancakes for the eggs, or Waffle House for the amazing atmosphere and great tasting food? In general, I go to restaurants for the right reasons. But there is one exception: I go to Texas Roadhouse not for the steaks, but for the rolls and butter. For a season, buns were on my mind a little too much. One lonely night I thought about going there by myself just to get some. Knowing I was in a low and desperate state, I rolled my cares to Jesus, and He raised me up and spread  His grace over me, giving me the strength to resist. (Why did writing that sentence make me hungry?!) I'm sure you've heard of the story of Jesus feeding well over 5,000 people with five barley loaves and two fish. But did you catch the post-meal conversation with the ones He fed just a day after? John 6:25-30:  They (the crowd) found him on the other side of the lake and asked, "Rabbi, whe...

I'm sure you've heard the expression, "when pigs fly," right? It's typically used to describe something that will never happen. Many have used this saying when talking about the Eagles' chances of winning a Super Bowl or the day that Steeler fans will stop flashing their make-believe rings like gangster rap stars. But did you ever experience a time when the pigs actually flew? When the impossible happened? What did you do? What was your response? There is this story in the Bible about a man who was possessed by an evil spirit. Jesus sees him and casts out the demon into a herd of pigs that then flew over a cliff and died. (OK, so they didn't fly. They dropped off the cliff like anvils. I had to find some way of luring you in with the title.) People seeing what happened were amazed and astonished. So amazed and astonished that they asked him to leave the town immediately. You heard me, they wanted him out. What would cause a group of people t...

When you go to the beach, do you at some point pace the shoreline looking for seashells? Do you only collect the prettiest ones? If they're broken, then they aren't leaving with you. If they aren't perfectly whole, if even a sliver has been broken, it isn't making the cut, right? Every time I enter into this well-worn tradition, the same thought invades my mind, "I'm so glad God isn't like me."   I'm glad that God doesn't choose to only love and work through those who are shiny, perfect, and unbroken. During my most recent expedition, a question hovered close behind those thoughts. Is it about more than shells? Is this simple art of shell hunting revealing something about the human heart...my heart? Is most of our time and energy being used toward the wrong things? Have we replaced God with the good things He gave us to enjoy?  The Lessons I Learned From a Conch Shell As I searched for the perfect shell, more specifically, the perfect ...

Did you ever witness the ever-familiar scene of a dad in a pool stretching out his hands for his son to jump into them? I've found myself poolside several times watching this very event unfold and the same things seem to come to mind. "Why is it so hard for him to jump? He's right there. If his arms are stretched out any farther, they'll turn into limp pool noodles floating in the water." I try to imagine what is going through their minds. If I'm the dad, I probably start off enthusiastic, encouraging him with confidence, boosting courage-injecting words to help him leave the edge. After a while though, I might feel a little hurt. I'd start asking myself, "Why won't he trust me? Does he really think I'll miss him or let him drown?" I'd start backtracking to moments where I might have let him down or missed him before. And then I try to imagine what the boy is thinking. He's probably thinking about all the air in between where he...

A couple weeks ago, I went to the doctor to get my test results regarding my cholesterol. I have to tell you I went in feeling pretty confident. I was pretty sure he was going to tell me that I was fine, and I could keep doing what I was doing. One of my biggest weaknesses is food. I love being able to eat whatever I want to without gaining any weight. (I can hear some of you snarling at me reading those words, but hold your snarls. They may soon turn to chuckles.) My worst fear became reality as the doctor unpacked the report that I would no longer be able to eat whatever I wanted to whenever I wanted to. As he handed me the pamphlet of the do's and don'ts of eating, I started having an out-of-body experience right there in his office. If he was talking, I didn't know it. I was...gone. Flashes of floating rice cakes, lettuce and bran muffins were popping up everywhere. Was I really going to have to start eating those things some of my friends were trying to get me to eat...

A few years ago, I thought it would be a good idea to try out snowboarding. Thinking back on it, I never understood why I would desire to do such a thing and why others live for it. If you think about it, it's totally crazy! You voluntarily lock your feet and ankles into a slippery, narrow board and slide down a mountain of snow and ice, filled with boulders, trees, and other humans while standing up. Fun!  When I first starting learning how to snowboard, the instructor emphasized one thing over and over, "Lean forward." He must have said that at least a hundred times. Leaning forward though was the last thing I wanted to do. When you're standing at the top of a mountain with both feet locked into "The Oval of Death" and you're looking down, the natural thing to do is to lean back. Leaning forward was the John Wayne thing to do, and I felt more like Betty White.  The whole process of just learning how to turn, stop, and not fall was tiring, humili...

Did you ever go to a public pool or attend a pool party and not see at least one kid - or adult for that matter - doing a cannon ball into the water? (For those of you wondering how or why a kid would throw black, iron balls into a pool, you really should get out a little more!) The cannon ball I'm referring to is a diving technique in swimming. Unlike competitive diving techniques, however, its purpose is to maximize rather than minimize splash on water entry. Lesson 1: Leave Your World Wet The cannon ball is dreaded by the readers and sunbathers surrounding the sparkling blue abyss, but to the exerciser of it...pure joy. The bigger the splash and the louder the noise the better. Usually the award is given to the larger or should I say "bigger-boned" individuals. But on rare occasions the skinny kid triumphs with his unconventional and unorthodox style that leaves the other competitors splashes look like rain drops. If you've ever been there and seen it, you know wha...