How do I pray?
Zach, staying off the left cheek, with his wife, Hillary
Zach plummeted 30-40 feet and missed the deepest part of the Malibu Creek Rock Pool, where only the manliest most insane dare to dive from the top rocks. He thought he broke his tail bone, but it only turned out to be muscle damage.
His freakishly swollen left buttock has been quite a novelty for teasing friends and family. Apparently Zach unembarrassedly bares butt for all interested gawkers to see and even photograph. I demurred.
On Thursday, Zach daredevil-dove at the Malibu Creek Rock Pool
We thanked God today for the miracle. He could have broken his back and been paralyzed.
Zach is an enigma to me. He’s equal parts bravado tough guy (he played football for UCLA) and compassionate nice guy. There’s not a dare he would skip or a rebellious punk he wouldn’t empathize with. For the last six years, he’s performed the unlauded labor of church cleaning for no pay, even though it deprives him of sleep and his wife. Cleaning starts at 5 a.m. He speaks of the “cleaning greats” at the Lighthouse Church, the men who taught him how to tame the wild beast of ubiquitous dirt when our K-12 kicks in.
After the plunge.
I am intrigued by Zach. I want to be like him. He seems to me to be a Christian ideal. Like Zach, we must be tough. We must withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and remain faithful to God. Like Zach, we must be compassionate. Without empathy, we’re shrill Pharisees. We must feel the hurt of so many millions who have been defrauded by the promises of sin.
Prayer must be tough enough to persevere. It must come from compassion and empathy. Can we feel people’s pain as God does? How do I pray? With toughness and with compassion.
Mustard Seed Budget 
Both very funny and very inspiring, Mike. Thanks!! This was a very manly (overstrike doesn’t work in comments!!!) uh, eloquent post. Diane
Hahahahahahaha! You bring cheer wherever you go!
yikes ! Hope you feel better friend ! Thank goodness you didn’t land on your head! My mustard seed faith are flying upward in my prayers ! Sincerely Debbie
😀
Here’s wishing and praying all the best to Zach. It could have been a LOT worse. I’m sure something good will come out of this – even if it is just an enforced rest and time for reflection.
Cheers to you (I feel as though I have been away for ages!) 😀
When you come back, you come back in a time machine. LOL
🙂
Ouch! Sorry for the pain. I pray good will come out of this even as you enjoy “the rest and reflection”.
😀
I love people that are willing to do the seemingly menial things in the work of the Lord. Every church needs a Zach to clean the church without pay, to visit the sick, to cut the grass at the house of the Lord, mainly to be a stable reliable servant of the Living God, a willing vessel in the hands of the Lord, to do whatever He needs done.
Bless Zach to get well sooon!
Thank you for the like on my blog.
Yes, I admire that in him and I aspire to be like that.
Mark 9:35
If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Mark 10:45
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.
To be a servant is to give your life to and for Jesus. This should be every child of God’s aspiration.
great verses! Help me to be last!
How did this blog get unfollowed by me?? That is so strange! Clicked follow again! Now I must backtrack and find all I missed!
xoxo
Funny things happen. No worries. GREAT to see you again!
By the way prayers for Zach! Wow! That photo will be iconic in his stories to come! Glad it turned out much better than it could have… God sent HIS Angles that day! Ya think? 😉
Thank you!