Today is a milestone of sorts for Chasing God.  You are reading my 50th post.  When I started writing in November, 2010, I had no idea where this would go.  I don't have to tell you where it's gone, or how many people have read it.  The important thing is that you're reading it, and from what I've heard back from many of you, God is using the ramblings of one His humble servants to touch the lives of others.  God, you are amazing.  It's an honor and privilege to be able to share my thoughts with all of you.  It's humbling to know that it has literally spanned the globe.  I'd like to take a moment to encourage you to leave a comment at the end of a post from time to time.  I have it set up so that anyone can comment.  You don't have to have a gmail account.  Heck, you don't even have to leave your name.  I'd love to hear when something is encouraging to you, or has helped you in some way.  By doing that, you'll be encouraging the encourager.  Thank you.

I'm not sure how many of you read Proverbs.  It's a great book in the Old Testament which is conveniently broken down into 31 chapters ... one for every day of the month.  Today I was reading in Proverbs 27 and found so many powerful little nuggets of wisdom that I didn't know where to begin.  Let's start with verse 1 ...

"Don't brashly announce what you're going to do tomorrow; you don't know the first thing about tomorrow."
 Proverbs 27:1, The Message

Here's something I've written about a few times, and now it's back.  Let me clue you in on a little secret: God is not interested in what you think you're going to do tomorrow.  He's interested in you ... by all means, He's interested in you.  He's interested in your tomorrows as well ... I just don't think cares much about what you plan to be doing tomorrow.  I do think He cares that you're doing what He has planned for you.

"Don't call attention to yourself; let others do that for you."
Proverbs 27:2, The Message

Isn't that something we can all learn to live by?  That's pretty straight forward ... let's move on.

"A nagging spouse is like the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet; You can't turn it off, and you can't get away from it."
Proverbs 27:15-16, The Message

I'm not touching that one, just thought it was funny enough to pass along.

"You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another."
Proverbs 27:17

Here's the verse I was waiting to get to.  It's quoted often by pastors and Christians.  My wife has mentioned it several times over the years when I've been frustrated with someone.  When I read it this afternoon however, I didn't look at it the way I typically have in the past.  The times where I'd find myself quoting it back to myself in the past were exactly times like that: when I was frustrated with someone.  I assumed God put them in my path to remind me that at times I may annoy people the way that person was annoying me.  Today a different story came to mind as I read it.

My band was playing at one of our city's largest live music venues.  It was a cold, February night not much different than today.  The band was excited ... I was excited ... due to this new thing I had checked out called "facebook", a lot of old friends I had reconnected with planned on making it out that night to support us.  It was going to be a great night ... and it was.  The band sounded great.  The stage and lights were so cool to play on and under.  The fans and my old friends made us feel so good about what we were doing.  What I didn't know was going on that night was how a few of those old friends, who apparently never grew up, were talking down to someone we all went to school with.  Talking down as in "mean girl" talking down.  Not to her face of course.  Bullies like that are typically cowards too.  They were doing it in the ladies room.  I didn't know it was going on at the time, but heard about it before I left from another friend who had overheard them.  This friend, we'll call her ... (it's always tough to make up fake names ... let's have fun with this one ...) ... we'll call her Penelope.  Penelope told me how girls A and B were talking very bad about girl C.  The issue A and B had with C was really something C couldn't change.  A and B were just being ... well ... they were just being B's.

I could relate to A and B.  I didn't, and would never condone what they were saying, but I could relate to them.  I haven't always looked at others the way I look at them now.  I was pretty selfish for a lot of years ... selfish with my feelings.  I was quicker to cut down that compliment.  Penelope on the other hand was different.  I'd known her for quite some time and she was as nice that night as she was back in high school.  I knew how she had a brother that grew up and entered his adult life with various issues.  Serious issues that can really change a person.  She told me that night how people had always judged her brother, and talked down to him, and assumed things about him, and how it taught her the hard and painful lesson to never be judgmental.  Then she told me about how evil girls A and B were being to girl C.  I could tell in the two minute conversation we had that she really felt bad for our friend.  She was very sincere in her disgust, and in how bad she felt about the way C was being treated.  Penelope busted out the iron sharpener that night.  I left there wondering if I would have felt the same way if I heard what she did.  I'd like to think I would ... I don't think I'm a judgmental person ... but who knows.  What I do know is that two years later, if I get close to falling into that trap of talking down to someone, I think about that night and the lesson that I re-learned.

That night was a great night.  The funny thing is, I went there to play and sing country music ... to hang out with my wife and friends ... to meet up with some old friends I hadn't seen in awhile.  I did all of that ... and was sharpened a little bit more as well.  I hope God has put some "sharpening" people in your life.  If He has, listen to them.  God bless.