Why I don't point fingers
OK, this starts off with a confession. I did not vote on Tuesday. Mostly because as far as I know nobody was running for me to vote for. The elections board always sends out a card telling me where my polling place is for the election. I did not receive one, nor do I recall seeing campaign signs or mailers for anything. I didn't take the time to investigate. My councilperson isn't due for re-election until next year if memory serves me, so I didn't vote.
So this morning, I had a conversation with a young man, but before I tell you about it, I need to say this: The verse I shared from 1 Timothy carries an admonition about arguing over words. Arguing was not what I had intended but the young man in question kind of interjected into a conversation I was having with another person. The woman I was talking to and I are both federal workers and had some common concerns about the on-going budget discussions. They young man made some comments about the government which led to a conversation about voting.
You know how I feel about that. It means a lot to me that people fought and died so we can and I think we should. Apparently this year, I didn't apply that to me so whatever happens in my city I have to live with silently because I did not participate in the discussion. I failed to live up to my responsibility as a citizen. I tried to explain to the young man how I thought voting was a responsibility of every citizen of the country. Of course I'm passionate about that but he said something about not being put in jail for not voting and I mentioned that if I had my way he would have been. We went on to have a conversation about serving in the military and this young man has some strange ideas about that. It wasn't what should have been a cordial conversation before the service started.
If you read slow, you'd see the part about being put in jail for not voting. Of course I don't mean that but I did say it. And I'd be sharing that cell with that young man this time.
Don't point fingers. You'll aslo read that I mentioned that the passage in Timothy was about more than money. The young man was argumentative and I kind of fell into that trap. I don't know this young man's story but I'm glad that I took the time to have a much different conversation with him after the service because I found out the reasons behind the first one we had.
The young man is angry at God. I'm guessing he's pretty much angry at the world, too. It wasn't just me. If I'd said it was a nice day, he'd have popped holes in that story, too. He wasn't having a good day. The young man in question told me he didn't believe in God. In God's house. OK, well, I know better than that because you're here at church worshipping God. That led me to listen a little closer and that's when I realized he is angry at God; for what I don't know, but it involves losing things he blames God for taking from him.
I'm thankful I was there because I had the chance to talk about God and to tell the young man the story I'm moving into. God showed up today at Ogden First Baptist/New Beginning Christian Church and I get to be a part of what He's going to do through us in a couple of weeks! But before we get there, we have to finish here. I asked the young man if he would look and listen for God in his life, through circumstances and through others this week if I agreed to pray for him every day this week. He told me he wouldn't want anyone praying for him. I told him that was too bad, because whether or not he liked it, I was praying for him all this week. I started that journey today. I hope the young man will look and listen because God will show up in his life this week. It might not be the way he thinks it ought to but God will show up. I hope the young man takes the suggestion that he should talk to God about why he's so angry at God.
I said God shows up. He did today. I went to my class yesterday and one thing to do for homework this week is to identify a crisis or potential crisis in our church or community and reach out. Around this time of year, my family likes to give back because we're grateful for what's been given to us. We do that all through the year, of course, in different ways, but this is a tangible thing we like to do. This week, though, it's been on my heart to do a little more and as I thought through what crisis was in our community the best answer I could come up with was poor/hungry. I thought of something a small group of us could do about that for a minute and shared that with some folks in my church who have kindly agreed to be part of my homework assignment.
I'm blessed to be a part of this group. But the thing is that I talked with the pastor about this on Saturday. Many of y'all know that Pastor Karl and I meet each week and I'm blessed to have a mentor on this walk. He encouraged me to take this class and when I shared with him what I wanted to do, I the response wasn't quite as enthusiastic as I normally get from him. He kind of asked me why I thought of that particular thing and I explained where the thoughts came from and how I wanted to go about making it happen. He then told me he thought it was a good idea and he was all for it.
Never make assumptions. A lack of enthusiasm I thought I heard wasn't the case. I'm a thinkin' after hearing the sermon it was a quiet moment of reflection. God showed up because what my homework turned out to be goes along with what the sermon was about. If I were ever going to ask for something from the group at church, today was the perfect moment for it. God showed up. He led me to an idea which wasn't my own, by giving me the heart for the thing He wanted done, then laid everything out to make it happen.
God also provides. My former roommate (she moved out yesterday; we're still friends but I think it'll be better for each of us to not live under the same roof) mentioned when we were dating that we ought ot get a Sam's Club or Costco membership. I would rather spend my money at Costco because of how they care for their employees, but when it's free, I'm not complaining. I will save a lot of money by being able to buy fuel at Sam's Club among other things.
I got a card in the mail for a free Sam's Club membership for a year yesterday. God provided!
Jehova-Jireh (the God who provides!) showed up. He was at the Sam's club, too.
Two more things happened today that I want to share with you. Said roommate came up to watch football today. She's a fan and she's sharing her big TV with us until she's ready to move it. She went with me to Sam's and I shared the membership with her. It was her idea and why not share, you can have two people on the thing. She's sharing her TV with us, so I shared a blessing with her.
I mentioned the other day I spent $8 for gas on Thursday. As far as I know one of those dollars was the lone dollar bill I had in my wallet. When I looked again, I still had a dollar bill in my wallet and I asked God to send someone my way who needed that dollar. I didn't put it in the plate at church. It was supposed to be for someone else. That someone showed up in the parking lot of Sam's club. From out of nowhere, this young girl appeared and said she's with this or that organization and they're on a cross country trip for a year to build faith and do this or that and would I consider making a donation?
That's where one of my dollars went and two of my friend's dollars went (which is how she'll be referred to from now on).
Thing two: I have these old Christmas radio show programs on cassette that aired in the 30's and 40's. I had one in the tape deck in the truck. After I put gas in the truck, it was 3:00. I know the time because BBN radio airs daily Bible reading at that time each day. I swear I don't remember hitting the eject button and she doesn't either. But the tape was out and we listened to the Scripture reading for the day. In that particular part of Scripture, Jesus tells the disciples his time is at hand but from that moment forward if they ask for things from God in Jesus' name, God will reply to that prayer. Jesus tells them that twice. I took that to heart.
There are a lot of things I'd like to ask for for myself. I so want that promise I wrote about to be true. I want God to fulfill Joel 2:25 in my life because the locusts ate so much. He is. Young son called me last night! Blessings! But that's not what I asked for in my prayer today.
I did ask that God would soften the heart of the young man at church and that the young man would recognize that God loves him.
That seems to me like that's an important thing to ask for and I truly hope that's a prayer the Lord will answer in the affirmative.
God is GOOD! And when He shows up; either in the way I told y'all about my day, or when God's people show up in Jesus' name to do His work, His love for us is manifest and it brings God glory and honor. And let's not forget, a big heaping helping of praise for God today!
So this morning, I had a conversation with a young man, but before I tell you about it, I need to say this: The verse I shared from 1 Timothy carries an admonition about arguing over words. Arguing was not what I had intended but the young man in question kind of interjected into a conversation I was having with another person. The woman I was talking to and I are both federal workers and had some common concerns about the on-going budget discussions. They young man made some comments about the government which led to a conversation about voting.
You know how I feel about that. It means a lot to me that people fought and died so we can and I think we should. Apparently this year, I didn't apply that to me so whatever happens in my city I have to live with silently because I did not participate in the discussion. I failed to live up to my responsibility as a citizen. I tried to explain to the young man how I thought voting was a responsibility of every citizen of the country. Of course I'm passionate about that but he said something about not being put in jail for not voting and I mentioned that if I had my way he would have been. We went on to have a conversation about serving in the military and this young man has some strange ideas about that. It wasn't what should have been a cordial conversation before the service started.
If you read slow, you'd see the part about being put in jail for not voting. Of course I don't mean that but I did say it. And I'd be sharing that cell with that young man this time.
Don't point fingers. You'll aslo read that I mentioned that the passage in Timothy was about more than money. The young man was argumentative and I kind of fell into that trap. I don't know this young man's story but I'm glad that I took the time to have a much different conversation with him after the service because I found out the reasons behind the first one we had.
The young man is angry at God. I'm guessing he's pretty much angry at the world, too. It wasn't just me. If I'd said it was a nice day, he'd have popped holes in that story, too. He wasn't having a good day. The young man in question told me he didn't believe in God. In God's house. OK, well, I know better than that because you're here at church worshipping God. That led me to listen a little closer and that's when I realized he is angry at God; for what I don't know, but it involves losing things he blames God for taking from him.
I'm thankful I was there because I had the chance to talk about God and to tell the young man the story I'm moving into. God showed up today at Ogden First Baptist/New Beginning Christian Church and I get to be a part of what He's going to do through us in a couple of weeks! But before we get there, we have to finish here. I asked the young man if he would look and listen for God in his life, through circumstances and through others this week if I agreed to pray for him every day this week. He told me he wouldn't want anyone praying for him. I told him that was too bad, because whether or not he liked it, I was praying for him all this week. I started that journey today. I hope the young man will look and listen because God will show up in his life this week. It might not be the way he thinks it ought to but God will show up. I hope the young man takes the suggestion that he should talk to God about why he's so angry at God.
I said God shows up. He did today. I went to my class yesterday and one thing to do for homework this week is to identify a crisis or potential crisis in our church or community and reach out. Around this time of year, my family likes to give back because we're grateful for what's been given to us. We do that all through the year, of course, in different ways, but this is a tangible thing we like to do. This week, though, it's been on my heart to do a little more and as I thought through what crisis was in our community the best answer I could come up with was poor/hungry. I thought of something a small group of us could do about that for a minute and shared that with some folks in my church who have kindly agreed to be part of my homework assignment.
I'm blessed to be a part of this group. But the thing is that I talked with the pastor about this on Saturday. Many of y'all know that Pastor Karl and I meet each week and I'm blessed to have a mentor on this walk. He encouraged me to take this class and when I shared with him what I wanted to do, I the response wasn't quite as enthusiastic as I normally get from him. He kind of asked me why I thought of that particular thing and I explained where the thoughts came from and how I wanted to go about making it happen. He then told me he thought it was a good idea and he was all for it.
Never make assumptions. A lack of enthusiasm I thought I heard wasn't the case. I'm a thinkin' after hearing the sermon it was a quiet moment of reflection. God showed up because what my homework turned out to be goes along with what the sermon was about. If I were ever going to ask for something from the group at church, today was the perfect moment for it. God showed up. He led me to an idea which wasn't my own, by giving me the heart for the thing He wanted done, then laid everything out to make it happen.
God also provides. My former roommate (she moved out yesterday; we're still friends but I think it'll be better for each of us to not live under the same roof) mentioned when we were dating that we ought ot get a Sam's Club or Costco membership. I would rather spend my money at Costco because of how they care for their employees, but when it's free, I'm not complaining. I will save a lot of money by being able to buy fuel at Sam's Club among other things.
I got a card in the mail for a free Sam's Club membership for a year yesterday. God provided!
Jehova-Jireh (the God who provides!) showed up. He was at the Sam's club, too.
Two more things happened today that I want to share with you. Said roommate came up to watch football today. She's a fan and she's sharing her big TV with us until she's ready to move it. She went with me to Sam's and I shared the membership with her. It was her idea and why not share, you can have two people on the thing. She's sharing her TV with us, so I shared a blessing with her.
I mentioned the other day I spent $8 for gas on Thursday. As far as I know one of those dollars was the lone dollar bill I had in my wallet. When I looked again, I still had a dollar bill in my wallet and I asked God to send someone my way who needed that dollar. I didn't put it in the plate at church. It was supposed to be for someone else. That someone showed up in the parking lot of Sam's club. From out of nowhere, this young girl appeared and said she's with this or that organization and they're on a cross country trip for a year to build faith and do this or that and would I consider making a donation?
That's where one of my dollars went and two of my friend's dollars went (which is how she'll be referred to from now on).
Thing two: I have these old Christmas radio show programs on cassette that aired in the 30's and 40's. I had one in the tape deck in the truck. After I put gas in the truck, it was 3:00. I know the time because BBN radio airs daily Bible reading at that time each day. I swear I don't remember hitting the eject button and she doesn't either. But the tape was out and we listened to the Scripture reading for the day. In that particular part of Scripture, Jesus tells the disciples his time is at hand but from that moment forward if they ask for things from God in Jesus' name, God will reply to that prayer. Jesus tells them that twice. I took that to heart.
There are a lot of things I'd like to ask for for myself. I so want that promise I wrote about to be true. I want God to fulfill Joel 2:25 in my life because the locusts ate so much. He is. Young son called me last night! Blessings! But that's not what I asked for in my prayer today.
I did ask that God would soften the heart of the young man at church and that the young man would recognize that God loves him.
That seems to me like that's an important thing to ask for and I truly hope that's a prayer the Lord will answer in the affirmative.
God is GOOD! And when He shows up; either in the way I told y'all about my day, or when God's people show up in Jesus' name to do His work, His love for us is manifest and it brings God glory and honor. And let's not forget, a big heaping helping of praise for God today!
sound's like Wednesday is going to be fun. ☺
ReplyDeleteYears ago I visited Singapore, and was told at the time that not voting there was one of those things that would get you thrown in jail.So was spitting on the sidewalk. Was also told horror stories (that I never took time to verify) about people who who not allowed to enter the country because their hair was too long/unkempt/unwashed.