This Is Missions

A young girl and her even younger brother are in the streets again today. As strangers pass them by, they are looking for any sign of hope, and any sign of food for the day, checking the ground for fallen money, and the garbage for an uneaten fruit. After all, this is Africa, and their parents are dead…

A man ducks behind a tree, the border patrol has just driven by the fence dividing Mexico and The United States of America. He is a husband, and father of three kids whom he can’t feed. He has gone without food for the past 2 days so that his wife would have the nutrition to feed their 2 month old daughter. He needs a job, and nobody will hire him in Mexico. He’s tried coming across legally, but was declined, and out of desperation, this is his last option…

Here comes Mr. Popular, quarterback of the football team, and voted Most Likely to Succeed by his Sr. Class. He has a nice smile, big laugh, and an even bigger drinking problem. Most people don’t see the stress that he carries every day. He’s living the dream of his father, also an alcoholic, and a high school dropout, and doesn’t even like football, but only plays because it’s expected of him. For the past week, he’s watched his dad beat his mom every night. He wanted so much to be loved, but now he’s beginning to believe there is no such thing…

The quiet, teen girl passes by, hair lips and fingernails are jet black, skin is pale, and wrists are bleeding underneath her black jacket. Nobody understands, and nobody tries too. She passes by them every day, and instead of speaking to her, they wait for her to pass and talk about her. She feels invisible, and she only wants somebody to talk to, somebody to listen, believe it or not, and somebody to laugh with. She hasn’t seen her own smile in years, but for years she’s just been walking by…

A woman comes out of the farmer’s market with seeds for her garden, and as she bumps into a little boy, she looks down and smiles. He looks at her for just a moment with a look of hope in his eyes, but as she starts to walk off, his eyes start scanning the ground. She hears a young girl’s voice scolding the little boy, and telling him to be mindful of the passersby. The woman stops as she realizes what’s happening. She asks the children “Are you hungry.” They reply with a nod. She tells them to come with her, for today they will learn how to grow their own food and about the One who made it… This is Missions.

A man sits on the curb with his face buried in his hands; tears are streaming from his face. As the border control vehicle drives back off, leaving him alone on the dusty streets, the deepest feeling of failure has overwhelmed him. His last hint of hope has been destroyed. His family will starve, and he has nobody to blame except himself. About this time, a stranger pulls beside him. As the driver lets down his window, the man looks up with tears washing the dust from his cheeks. The driver is new to the area, and needs help learning his way around. As they ride and talk, the driver finds a restaurant and as they sit for a meal, the man confesses that he has no money to pay for his food. The stranger begins to share with the man that if a brother is hungry, you should give him something to eat, but he wanted to do more than that, he wanted to give him a job… This is Missions

You see Mr. Quarterback and Mrs. Invisible attend your school, and they need you, to show them love, to listen, to bring them hope and joy. The same goes to you adult. You work with people every day, you pass them on the streets, and in the stores; they’re silently crying out, and they need you to show them the Way. You don’t have to be labeled missionary in order to do this kind of work. Your school is your mission field, your work is your mission field, and This is Missions!

Speckled Comfort

            In my house, there is something my family knows as “The Speckledy Blanket.” It’s simply a comforter that is made out of the most amazing, feel good year round, material that is white with the design of different colors of paint dripped on it, giving a speckled look.

Many Sunday afternoon naps have been taken, many sicknesses have been cured, and fevers broken while underneath this blanket. When my two sisters-in-law joined the family, there was many a “loving debate” over exactly whose blanket this was, is, and ever will be… Joking aside, it is, without a doubt, the most comfortable, comforting, and anything else dealing with comfort comforter/blanket that I have ever encountered. It has to be sent down from God Himself. The Bible says that God is the God of all comfort. (2 Corinthians 1)

A statement I’ve heard and believed to be true is, “If you become comfortable in a place (ministry, ect…), God will move you.” That is totally contradicted by this scripture, which made my computer of a brain (I don’t joke about it and neither should you), head spin. The random thought that came to mind is… There has to be a difference in being comfortable where you are, and being complacent where you are. I at one point believed them to be one in the same, but according to Webster, being comfortable means enjoying physical comfort or encouragement, while being complacent (or complacency)self-satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers of deficiencies.

Everyone loves comfort, being encouraged, and 70 degrees Fahrenheit with a slight but cool breeze, and there are times in our lives when we need to be comforted and comfortable, especially in our walks of faith. When we find ourselves feeling comfortable we must also be on guard, for complacency lurks around the corner. It’s so easy to say, “I’ve worked hard, figured it out, I’ve finally got it made. I’m comfortable here.” That’s not comfort, it is complacency.

Comfort and complacency are laying in the recliner under the speckledy blanket after a long 12 hour shift. The phone rings, caller ID indicates it’s the mother-in-law, and you suddenly remember that she wanted your help today. Comfort answers and goes, complacent stays and sleeps. The Complacent are selfish the comfortable are selfless. Someone who is comfortable is willing to leave their place of comfort to help. The complacent simply are not willing to leave their self comfort.

Check yourself. Are you not answering a call, be it from a friend, family member, or even God due to complacency dressed in comfort’s clothing (or a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing if you will)?

Moral of the Story: Don’t have your daily prayer time, while in the recliner under the speckledy blanket at night… it’s just not a good idea.

Another Day in SA

             I spent time with a little boy today that I’d only seen one time before. As we pulled up to the house, he and his older cousins were going to draw some water for their family of 6. As the truck came to a stop, and we stepped out, he ran to greet me with a hug. His little arms not even wrapping around my legs, I realize I could stand to start working out more. You see this little boy is only three years old. His family of six consists of his older sister who is 6, his 4 older cousins who are 18, 13, and twins of 7 years and him. These 6, “the six pack” as we’ve come to know them, are orphaned. The four oldest kid’s mother died not long after the twin girls were born, and the little boy and his sister’s mother is still living, but chooses not to be with them. She left them with the granny, who did not feed them, take them to the clinic when they were sick, or do anything beneficial for these kid’s lives. So now the “six pack” live together and alone in a house built just for them by a missionary family who loves them very much.

             Recently 3 “priests” from a cult entered their home. They stayed in the house and ate the food that was there for the kids. These priests believe in and probably practice witchcraft, and other things that I do not care to think about at this particular time. So today, we’ve come to talk to the 18 year old boy, the leader of the household, the one who let the 3 priests in. As a well trusted friend and area pastor talks to the oldest, the little boy sits right beside me, with his little arm using my leg as an armrest. He then starts running his little index finger over my hand, as I lay my palm out flat before him he sticks his little hand in mine makes his way to my thumb and latches on. I then close my hand around his and begin a simple but fervent prayer. I pray that God would touch this little boy, that he would come to know Him, and that these little hands that were grasping mine would one day soon turn into the hands of God. About that time he scratches his head that is obviously unhealthy do to a lack of upkeep and good nutrition, and my prayer turns to his health physically (you see he’s been sick recently) and mentally (who knows what witchcraft he’s been exposed too). About this time, while still holding my hand, he gazes up at me with those big brown eyes, and I pray that these eyes would see the world and people the same way that God sees them, and as he starts to smile, I pray that he would bring the joy of Christ to all that he comes into contact with. About this time, he stands up to push himself further on the couch, and as I look at his feet which are dirty and spotted with sores, I pray that his feet soon start walking the path that God has set out for him, that he doesn’t veer off to the left or to the right. He yawns, and leans his little head against my arm, which I then put around his shoulder. My prayer then asks that he would have the strength to carry the weight that is going to be put upon his shoulders. That he would be a God fearing boy, and would have great faith that his (or mine…or your) generation is yet to see.

             So I ask, parents, do you pray for your children? Highschooler, do you pray for that little kid that looks so passionately up to you? Sisters do you pray for your brothers? Brothers do you pray for your sisters? Husbands do you pray for your wives? Wives do you pray for your husbands? Pastor, do you pray for your congregation? Congregation, do you pray for your pastor? Employee, do you pray for your employer? Employer, do you pray for your employee? You see the power of prayer is, strong if you exercise it, but unused it’s as useful as that gym membership that you don’t use.

Moral of the Story: There’s always something to pray for, so exercise!

Toenails of Love (dated 1-27-2011 from SA)

Today while riding in the Hasselbring’s Speed the Light vehicle, (Thank you Assembly of God Youth in Alabama. You’re awesome!) the news came on the morning radio show. One of the headlines was that a man proposed to his girlfriend through text message…. He sent the message to the wrong number. Didn’t hear the Paul Harvey rest of the story, but I did read this tonight.

1 Corinthians 16:14 says, ‘Do everything in love.’ My first question is, how? My second question is, why? How could you send a proposal text to the wrong number, and why in the world would you do that via text message, but back to Corinthians. How is it possible to do everything in love? I can see doing some things in love, but everything we ever do; we are to do in love? Go to church because you love God. Got it. Go visit with grandma because you love grandma. Yep. Take your dog to the vet because you love your dog. He/She is family. Sure enough. Clip your toenails because you love to wear flip flops…? 

Which leads to my next question, Why? Why in the world would I clip my toenails in love? Personally I know my why (I prefer to be clean, and long toenails look nasty), but for your average joe with above average length toenails, why clip toenails in love? Truthfully, I have no clue why we are to do everything in love. If I had to guess, seeing as we are creatures of habit, and God has promised us if we are faithful with the small things then we will be blessed, I would say it’s just habit building. If we take everyday normal things, like greeting a stranger or even a  “friend” (you all know that person) early in the morning before that second cup of coffee, and do them in love, then those moments, those times that God has ordained for us to be with somebody who needs the very love of God, and we, yes you or me, are  the only one around, in those moments, we will know how to love because love is the story of our lives. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son. He did everything in love so why should we be any different.

Moral: Live a real life love story, and cut your nasty toenails! You so nasty…!

Sunday Fishing

I started off my day by waking up late for church, followed by a drive to the gas station for fuel and  a bacon and egg sandwich. I arrive at the IAG Church in Matsulu at 11:22, service starts there at 10:30. Not the way a missionary wants to start his first Sunday back in South Africa…

                I went fishing after lunch. No, not fishing for men, but actual bass and tilapia fishing. It also marked the first time I’ve ever been fishing with my little brother DJ (no worries my tilapia was bigger than his).  We only caught 1 fish each (total of 2 for you mathematically challenged folks), and with it being such a slow day, with all the ants and mosquitoes that God ever let come into existence biting, and only the same amount of fish that made it on the ark…(I do not know if fish were on the ark but I will ask Noah one day... or one of his sons... focus...), as I watched my cork drifting over a ripple made by a fish that was either smarter than me, or just not hungry, a thought came…

                How many of us, whom God called to be fishers of men, actually fish? So many more of us went through the excitement of Salvation, we grabbed our rod and reels, and casted away, but the first fish never bit. So we are waiting, our hook is still in the water, but instead of fishing, we are just cork watching whenever we are not swatting at the “mosquitoes and ants” of life. A lot of us will continue to cork watch until we get tired and “go home”, and most of us will never realize that we never baited the hook. I’m not saying it’s impossible to catch a fish with no bait, I’ve done it, but I am saying that it is much easier with a baited hook. I’m not saying Jesus is bait or that you want to hook anybody into anything. Jesus is no bait, but He is the only way to heaven. You know this, so no more excuses. You do have something to offer the fishes that have swam by your empty hook. He’s better than the greatest and latest jig, old school worms or crickets, and can do more good to them than Catfish Charley (stink bait) can do bad for your hands. Tell them your story, tell them His, so He can finish theirs, and you can have a partner to later go fishing with!

Moral of the story: Be on time for church… and go fishing!

Butt end of a joke...

I recently read a joke, and it read like this:
        When a traffic cop pulled over Pastor Johnson for speeding, the minister reminded the officer, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy." The cop handed the minister the ticket and quoted, "Go thou and sin no more."

As funny as that initially was, it struck a strong and disturbing reality inside of me. A thought came to my mind. What does it mean to be merciful? So I pulled out the Bible and dictionary to compare the two. The dictionary says merciful is exactly what I thought (kudos to my vocabulary teachers), full of mercy. The commentary in my bible says that the 'merciful' are full of compassion and pity toward those who are suffering either from sin or sorrow. The merciful sincerely want to make such suffering less by bringing those people to the grace and help of God through Jesus Christ.

I can't count the number of times that I was driving my granted 7 mph over the speed limit, and some "law fearing" person flies by me like I'm sitting on the side of the road with a flat tire. And in those times I hoped that a cop or two were sitting up the road just waiting on my 2 fast 2 furious want-to-be friend. Or when I only have one item to buy at Wal-Mart, and they have two cashiers on duty, one of which is the express lane, and the lady who just bought groceries for a family of what looks like 80, so graciously cuts me off and checks out in the express, 10 items or less please, lane. How full of mercy am I in those moments? How compassionate towards others am I in those moments? Who knows how many jobs the could be single mother, trying to feed her family of what looks like 80, be working? What if the "law fearing citizen" is racing to get to his elderly grandmother's house because she just fell, and somehow reached the phone to call him? How much more would a speeding ticket if not reckless driving ticket, set him back? In these times of no mercy moments in my life, is there any mercy for me?    

Moral of the story: Never read a joke without wearing some kind of close toed shoe because it hurts a lot less to have your toes stepped on.

Physically/Spiritually Fit

I just got back from the gym, and yes it is 4 AM. Funny, but not many people are at the gym from 3-4 in the morning. Just me this morning, but another guy came in as I was leaving... anyway back to the matter at hand...

It's been a few months since I've made a trip to work out, (And my body will not let me forget it for a few days... great!). Since graduating from high school, I have not worked out like I should have. Oh I meant to, but just never got around to it, or had other things keeping me busy. On my way home I was thinking how many Christians are out doing the same thing spiritually as I am doing physically. As Christians day in and day out we should be walking by faith, running the race, and fighting the good fight, but so many of us have become lazy. At one point we did actively run after God, and work to become as close to Him as we could, but then we hit a wall, lost motivation, reached our "high school graduation", and our desire to continue on in the pursuit, our drive to be all that we should be, just fizzled away. Sure we go to the gym (Church) every once in a while, or every Sunday, or every Sunday and Wednesday, but when we get there, how much working out do we do? How much running after God do we do? How much effort do we put into our walks? Most of us go expecting to be spoon fed by the pastor/youth pastor/associate pastor/Sunday school teacher. One thing that I've figured out physically is that if you continue to eat, regardless to how healthy you eat, if you do not exercise at all, you will start adding some fat, and you will start losing some muscle.

Which brings me to my next point. If we lose muscle, how are we to fight off the enemy? If we become fat, lazy Christians, will we be quick enough to see and avoid the traps set out for us by the enemy? Will we be able to flex our flab, resist the devil, and make him flee from us? And if we do see the trap, will we have enough energy to avoid them, or will we lazily walk right through the middle of them, and hope somebody bails us out (ew bail outs... another sermon for another day. Focus...)

Ok I'm back, almost lost me there for a second. But seriously, some of us have missed out on opportunities to pump some serious iron spiritually, and though it's going to be difficult and possibly painful the first few visits back to our "personal gym" (better known as prayer closet/quiet place), once the soreness leaves, we will better than we have in a long time...

I could go run another couple of miles after that. Anybody care to join me....?