Hey friends. This week's blog posting may not be chock full of impressive spiritual nuggets for you to chew on for a while. Instead, it might just be a way for you to unwind after your week and prepare for your weekend.
Apparently my Beggars CAN Be Choosers entry got quite a few people thinking, reacting, and actually finding themselves in situations that tested this idea :-) Well...thank you to all who posted, texted, and called to let me know how you were challenged.
As this week draws to a close, I reflect back on a few things from this week that I'd like to share. First: from our great youth director's mini lesson to our kids. He posed this question: How much stuff do you have? Well, I thought, I know exactly how much stuff I have because we just moved. So...a whole 18 wheeler packed top to bottom front to back's worth, mister. That's how much. All this was in my head, as I didn't want to take away from the youth.
Then he read some scripture about how we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and might. Afterwards this thought was posed to the kids: It's obvious what our heart and minds are; so what do you suppose might is, and how do we love God with all our might? Suddenly one hears the sounds of crickets chirping and the blank look of "Uhhhhhhhh" on all our faces - yes, even mine. After a few seconds of painful Uhhhhh-ness, in a sheepish but firm voice, she answers: our stuff. Why yes, that's right!!! Our stuff.
Dang it, I thought!!!! Why didn't I see this coming? Of course, our stuff! But then it really hit me - dang it!!!!! I'm supposed to love God with all my stuff. Am I? Wellllllllllll...I try to, but I'm probably falling short. Granted, in an entire 18 wheeler full of stuff, some of it probably falls short of loving God. 'Nuff said about stuff. It just got me thinking about how we truly can love God in countless numbers of creative ways; like God does with us!
Secondly: it's back to school time (or darn close). So for all of you who are going back to school, I wish you the best. For those of you going to new schools and embarking on new educational adventures, I wish you enjoyment. For all the parents who buy glue sticks and glitter and cell phones and computers and GPS units, I wish you peace of mind and spirit.
Fall is another busy time of year, so let's not forget to take time out of our busy schedules to tell the ones we love that we love them. Remember the blessings we have come in lots of different shapes, colors, sizes, and stuff.
Peace...
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Beggars CAN Be Choosers (Or a Preview of This Sunday's Message)
Beggars can be choosers? That doesn't much sound like the ol' familiar expression that most of us have heard. I was always taught that beggars shouldn't be choosy - that they should be thankful for what is given to them, because it was given out of a good heart. Hmmm. Hold the phone a minute.
If someone comes to me with a need, and I take the beggars-can't-be-choosers attitude, in essence I am making them meet me where I am. I am not meeting them where they are. It would be as if someone who is hungry asks me for food, and I give them peanut butter sandwiches over and over and over and over. Not that there's anything wrong with peanut butter sandwiches, but what if that person really wants a steak, or a grilled cheese, or a bowl of chili? My serving them what I want to serve them sends the message that they are not important enough for me to consider their needs. It places me above others. They are an interruption in my routine. They are an inconvenience while I am serving 'from my heart.' The beggars-can't-be-choosers attitude happens when I forget what it's like to be an outsider and a beggar in need of compassion.
And on a side note...what's up with this 'they' thing? Me/they, us/them: that separates us. It places the giver above the receiver in some hierarchy of humanity. It's as if I am never in need. Really?
Reality time: I am an outsider and a beggar in need of compassion. I come to God with my needs, and what does God offer me? Choices. God meets me where I am. God never makes me come up to God's level. And it's a good thing, because I could never get there. As Eugene Peterson writes, The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. God comes to us and spends time where we are. How cool is that? And borrowing from Donald Miller, when I accept that there is nothing I can do to earn God’s grace – there’s no amount of righteous living; and there’s nothing I can give to God - I’m given a kingdom in return. I get all of God; God doesn't hold back.
So the next time I go to God in need, I'll remember that I can have a peanut butter sandwich if I ask for one. But God will wait until I ask, and God will respect where I am and what I need. May I be so accepting of others that I meet them where they are, because God does.
If someone comes to me with a need, and I take the beggars-can't-be-choosers attitude, in essence I am making them meet me where I am. I am not meeting them where they are. It would be as if someone who is hungry asks me for food, and I give them peanut butter sandwiches over and over and over and over. Not that there's anything wrong with peanut butter sandwiches, but what if that person really wants a steak, or a grilled cheese, or a bowl of chili? My serving them what I want to serve them sends the message that they are not important enough for me to consider their needs. It places me above others. They are an interruption in my routine. They are an inconvenience while I am serving 'from my heart.' The beggars-can't-be-choosers attitude happens when I forget what it's like to be an outsider and a beggar in need of compassion.
And on a side note...what's up with this 'they' thing? Me/they, us/them: that separates us. It places the giver above the receiver in some hierarchy of humanity. It's as if I am never in need. Really?
Reality time: I am an outsider and a beggar in need of compassion. I come to God with my needs, and what does God offer me? Choices. God meets me where I am. God never makes me come up to God's level. And it's a good thing, because I could never get there. As Eugene Peterson writes, The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. God comes to us and spends time where we are. How cool is that? And borrowing from Donald Miller, when I accept that there is nothing I can do to earn God’s grace – there’s no amount of righteous living; and there’s nothing I can give to God - I’m given a kingdom in return. I get all of God; God doesn't hold back.
So the next time I go to God in need, I'll remember that I can have a peanut butter sandwich if I ask for one. But God will wait until I ask, and God will respect where I am and what I need. May I be so accepting of others that I meet them where they are, because God does.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Illness and Who we Are
It's difficult to be ill. And, to be honest, sometimes it seems unfair and just plain sucks. But illness is a part of this human experience. Have you ever wondered why that is? What good does it do for our human bodies to break down and cause us distress? Why is it that some folks seem to have it all together - they're strong and healthy - while others never seem to rise from the throes of illness? Does God like some people more than others? It sure seems that way when you're sick, or if you have a loved one struggling or suffering.
While I can't speak for God as to why people get sick, I can say that illness does not define who we are - even if we have a terminal physical illness or a severe mental illness. I have worked with lots of people who struggle both physically and mentally, and I always remind them that humans are more than who we are at any given moment. God doesn't define us by where we are in our lives; God looks at the bigger picture. God sees the total picture of who we are individually and how we fit into the family of humanity. We are more than our sufferings.
So that also means that the good times, the successes in our lives, and the times we are healthy - they also don't define who we are. Because, these too are temporary. Sure the good times feel better and make us happy. But we are also more than the warm fuzzy times in our lives.
Think about your life. What do you like/dislike? What about your morning routine? Do you prefer coffee, tea, water, soda, or something else? What colors do you like/dislike? What type of music do you like/dislike? Are you a church goer or sleeper-in? Are you married or single? Do you like/dislike Chinese food? Have you been to college? Do you like/dislike to read? What are your hopes and dreams? Have you traveled to many places? What's your favorite childhood memory? Who has been your greatest influence? Upon whom have you been an influence? And on and on and on... There are too many questions to ask. That's because we are a wonderful whole picture. If we could stand back and see our pictures, we would see glorious individual colors that work together to make our picture whole. We would not see one bland color. God doesn't stir the colors of our lives together to make gray or tan. God pieces the colors together - including the colorful pieces of illness. Granted, these pieces might be gray, tan, or even black, but they are only pieces of our lives' pictures.
I know it's often difficult to see outside of illness. But please remember - we are more than who we are at any given moment in time. We are timeless creations who God fashioned. We are important and we matter - simply because we are.
While I can't speak for God as to why people get sick, I can say that illness does not define who we are - even if we have a terminal physical illness or a severe mental illness. I have worked with lots of people who struggle both physically and mentally, and I always remind them that humans are more than who we are at any given moment. God doesn't define us by where we are in our lives; God looks at the bigger picture. God sees the total picture of who we are individually and how we fit into the family of humanity. We are more than our sufferings.
So that also means that the good times, the successes in our lives, and the times we are healthy - they also don't define who we are. Because, these too are temporary. Sure the good times feel better and make us happy. But we are also more than the warm fuzzy times in our lives.
Think about your life. What do you like/dislike? What about your morning routine? Do you prefer coffee, tea, water, soda, or something else? What colors do you like/dislike? What type of music do you like/dislike? Are you a church goer or sleeper-in? Are you married or single? Do you like/dislike Chinese food? Have you been to college? Do you like/dislike to read? What are your hopes and dreams? Have you traveled to many places? What's your favorite childhood memory? Who has been your greatest influence? Upon whom have you been an influence? And on and on and on... There are too many questions to ask. That's because we are a wonderful whole picture. If we could stand back and see our pictures, we would see glorious individual colors that work together to make our picture whole. We would not see one bland color. God doesn't stir the colors of our lives together to make gray or tan. God pieces the colors together - including the colorful pieces of illness. Granted, these pieces might be gray, tan, or even black, but they are only pieces of our lives' pictures.
I know it's often difficult to see outside of illness. But please remember - we are more than who we are at any given moment in time. We are timeless creations who God fashioned. We are important and we matter - simply because we are.
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