EVERY DAY

Jaci and I had the priviledge of visiting North Point Community Church down in Alpharetta, GA over Labor Day weekend. North Point is pastored by Andy Stanley, son of the famous Charles Stanley. North Point is also where our church gets our children's curriculum from. We went down to check out the children's ministry there and were absolutely blown away by the support and just amazing facilities and program that they have there. It really inspired us to take Kids Avenue to the next level.

When we went into the church service, they sang a song called "Every Day" by Rascal Flatts. I've never really heard the song before. I like country music, but I don't really listen to the radio unless it's talk radio or Christian radio.

It's a hopeful little ditty probably not necessarily to be about God, but it fits so perfectly. The singer talks about someone who "everyday saves my life," how "sometimes I swear I don't know if I'm coming or going, but you always say something without even knowing, that I'm hanging on to your words with all of my might and it's alright, yeah, I'm alright for one more night..."

It's a beautiful song that works on so many levels. Obviously as a Christian it is the cry of my heart on many days. Just crying out to Jesus to save me. Realizing as I'm driving my car the depths to which He goes to save me. The understanding that the Bible tells us His mercies are new EVERY morning. He gives us just enough grace to carry on for one more day. That truth was recently powerfully conveyed by the daughter of Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman. On dealing with the accidental death of her 5 year old sister, this young woman talked about how she knew this verse, but that she had never lived this verse. Her overwhelming grief and sorrow feels each day like it will crush her, yet Jesus gives her just enough, just enough to get through the day. Not enough, she noted to get through the next day, but enough to carry her to her pillow that night, and each morning she finds a new supply of mercy from her loving Savior. What a beautiful illustration of how desperately we need Christ! Every day. Every hour. Every minute. Every second. Now.

The song "Every Day" also speaks of other relationships in my life. My wife comes to mind first. So many days she offers the right words at the right time. Sometimes it's just her beautiful smile. Sometimes its that childlike twinkle she gets in her eyes when she's really excited about something. There are so many days when God uses her to save me from whatever I'm dealing with that day.

Another example is of course my kids. Reagan, our 3 year old, is so excited every day when I come home and always asks me if I had a good day. She came up to me today with her Cinderella shoes on and asked me to dance with her. Jackson provides such joy to me that my heart overflows. His giggles, and that big bright smile that sometimes means he's getting into mischief, but always warms my heart. Then there is my big boy Noah. He's grown so much, and his love for the Lord and for others, his surprisingly deep spiritual understanding of God's love and the spiritual battle between good and evil gives me hope everyday for the future. Every day I see glimpses of the future powerful man of God that he will be and I think I can't possible be worthy of being his father.

Finally, I also think of the people who work in the trenches with me at church. There is a bond in serving in ministry and doing the Lord's work that can't really be touched by the secular world. So many times the heart and devotion these folks show week to week and the words of inspiration that they say to me come at the right time. I'm sitting there doubting that I'm doing anything good, that I am useless, that I fail much more than I succeed, that I could leave and nobody would even notice, and someone makes a comment at my moment of need or demonstrates God's love through their actions at just the right time to save me from myself.

Everyday is a day to praise the Lord and thank Him for the blessings that he's given us and the fact that literally, he does save us every day!

P.S. I added the song I'm talking about to our player down below so enjoy!