GROWING SEEDS: "Our Church Family"

 

 

The strangest thing happened last week at church.  

For the first time, I noticed that most everyone around me was my neighbor.  Literally.....my next door neighbor.  Three rows ahead of me, were our neighbors Dr. Charlie and Annette Rutherford who live just down the road from us.  Four rows ahead of us to the left were our neighbors Jack and Jackie Carlson who also live in our neighborhood but down the road in the opposite direction.  Up in the choir loft were our neighbors Troy and Becky Arterbury who live 3 doors down from us.  I could go on and on but you get the idea.

Chuck and I moved to Mt. Vernon about 10 years ago from Dallas.  We both lived in big cities our entire lives and never do I recall going to the same church as my neighbors.  It was always two separate worlds that, quite honestly, I didn't want combined.  I liked it that way.  I didn't want the same people I went to church with knowing my business outside of church.  

But why??  

As I looked around last week, I had the "warmest and fuzziest" feeling come over me.  These people, our neighbors who I see in shorts on Saturday and a suit on Sunday, are our family.  FAMILY.  They eat with us, they shop with us, they come over in their PJ's for coffee in the mornings, they pick up eggs and milk for us at the store, they help us when we fall, they cry with us in our sad moments and they LOVE on us.  It was almost like an epiphany.  This is how it SHOULD be........

How was it I never saw this before?  

As I was reading the scripture for today, I feel sure it wasn't much different for the congregation in Colosse in Paul's time.  Matter of fact, Paul starts Colossians with this, "We are writing to God's holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ."  See?  They're family!  Just like we are.....

Look around you......go ahead, I'll wait.........

The folks sitting two rows in front of you may not live next door to you, but they are YOUR neighbor....they are YOUR brother and sister.....they are YOUR family.  What a blessing.....a GIFT.....God has given each of us to share a pew with our neighbor and family.  What a gift indeed!!

"Strong Churches Don't Make Strong Families.....

Strong Families Make Strong Churches"

Dr. Tim Kimmel

GROWING SEEDS: "Lunches of LOVVVVVVEEE...."

LUNCHES OF LOVVVVVVVE....

This week is the start of LUNCHES OF LOVE!!  

Last year, I jumped at the chance to help "serve" food at "Lunches of Love" .....which is a combination of different denominations and local businesses coming together to feed the children from disadvantaged homes here in our community.   And I thought what better way to tell you about this amazing volunteer program than to describe my experiences last year.

First off, I must tell you Liz doesn't cook....AT ALL.....EVER.....it's just not my blessing. So the first week, they put me on "gravy" duty...which consisted of simply pouring gravy on top of the mashed potatoes.  EASSSSSSSY. 

The next week, I was moved up to "vegetables"......a bit tougher.  I found the carrots were going pretty well, but the cauliflower just wasn't moving at all.  After about 15 minutes of no action on the cauliflower, one of the more experienced women came up and whispered in my ear, "That's "Broccoli" sweetie...not "Cauliflower".  Oops.

The following week, they moved me over to "Green Beans"......pretty much a step backwards from the prior week....I'm guessing it was cause of the simple little mess up on the cauliflower/broccoli issue.  Personally, green beans are about the only vegetable I like, so I couldn't imagine why the kids weren't wanting any of these.......so I just told them to put ketchup on them and it would be like eating dessert. They LOVED it!!!!!  Came back for seconds and thirds on green beans with ketchup!!!!  

And on the final week, I finally made it to serving the main entree....yep.....they put me in charge of "Chicken". I had a blast asking the kids if they wanted American chicken, Russian chicken, African chicken....etc.....and watching them look at me like I had 3-heads.  

But the best part?  They promised me an apron with my name on it this year!!  

So, if whoever is in charge of aprons is reading this, my name is spelled "L-I-Z".

V-O-L-U-N-T-E-E-R

You Will Be Blessed While Blessing Others

GROWING SEEDS: "Joy"

 

 

~ JOY ~

I once knew a woman named Joy.  She was a short little petite lady with a pixie haircut who lived directly behind us in our Lake Highlands neighborhood in Dallas and had a mean streak in her that would make the toughest guy cower in fear.  I always thought how ironic that her name was Joy......I seldom saw any "Joy" in her life.  She rarely liked her husband; she hated her furniture; only once in a blue moon did she like her grown kids......and she threatened to quit her job most every day.

But about this time last year, her husband was diagnosed with cancer.  Stage 4 cancer.  Suddenly, life shifted for Joy and the things that once seemed so important to her, no longer mattered.  Her love for her husband softened.....her adult kids didn't annoy her like they once had.....and her job became a blessing to her.  I remember getting the call from her in the fall of last year.  She was calling to tell me about her beloved Donnie's cancer and how alone she felt.  Although she had lived in the same neighborhood for 20+ years, she barely knew anyone.  According to Joy, "neighbors just didn't want to know each other anymore"......but truth is, Joy never made any attempts to get to know her neighbors.  My heart broke for her.

I had never known Joy and Donnie as people of faith, so when I told her I was going to send her a little book that had helped me through some tough times, I seriously wondered if she would even crack it open.  But I sent it anyway.....with much prayer for my friend Joy and the rough road she had ahead.  

Two weeks before Donnie passed away, Joy called again.  This time her voice had "hope" in it.  She told me she had been reading the "Jesus Calling" daily devotional I had hesitantly sent her.  She was reading it out loud to Donnie every day and, although she wasn't sure he heard her, she felt such a peace and, yes....maybe even a hint of JOY, in her broken heart.

I understand now what Paul was talking about when he wrote to the Philippians......"Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with JOY, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ....."

"The simplest way to fine JOY in me is to give THANKS in all circumstances.  

This practice adds SPARKLE to your blessings, increasing your JOY."   Jesus

(Jesus Calling)