Thursday, June 26, 2008

Smack - Right In The Kisser

I read in "Traveling Light" - a book by Max Lucado - that he struggled with alcohol at a significant time in his ministry. THE Max Lucado. Yes, Pastor Max Lucado. Author, motivational speaker - yes, THAT Max Lucado. How ironic. A Pastor in need of an alter call.

And it seemed the whole world was in shock with the release of Mother Teresa's memoirs - shocked to read that Mother Teresa who lived a saintly life - struggled with her faith. Hmmm.

I also read about a 33 year-old master chef Grant Achatz - who had just won the "Oscar" of chefery so to speak - who just last year was diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue cancer. Irony? He went through chemo and radiation and in the process lost his TASTE BUDS. You're kidding right? No. He lost his taste buds. Could life have been more cruel? Smack! - right in the kisser.

So, I look at these stories and I ask myself how have these great people dealt with a situation - a crisis - in a way that still creates a legacy - they still move in the path of greatness - EVEN given the irony, the struggle, and the reality of their pain and position.

Here's the key. They kept going in spite of the irony of their circumstances.

Max Lucado kept speaking and writing and his books are personable and convicting. Mother Teresa kept giving and serving - her legacy is known around the globe. And our chef friend? He began using his other senses more, remembering what a "pinch" of this or a "dash" of that felt like in his hand rather than in his mouth, and he trained another chef to be his assistant - his "taster". And he STILL cooks. Quite literally in the face of his greatest challenge.

When you want to give up, when you think you've been hit in your weakest spot at your weakest moment and you fear you are finished - keep going. When life hits you - SMACK! - right in the kisser - don't give up - "taste and see that the Lord is good". Psalm 34:8