When church is a verb.
What comes to mind when you think of the word "church"?
Today, my mind was focused on the noun. The physical building that's easily identifiable as a church. It's red brick with white trim, has a steeple, and there's a cross on top of it, to signify it's a church where Christ is worshipped by His followers.
The physical church needed some love. Part of how I give back to God is to give him a couple of hours of my time during the week and mow the lawn. It needed it and apparently I needed it too.
Sometimes I get beat a little bit down by life. I admit that. I struggle with alone. I miss that intimacy you have with your special someone. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes I just don't get it. But today, I needed to mow the lawn and I made myself do it. Today it was gonna be a chore.
I stopped at the sev to get gas. I put in $30 and got two tens back in change from the only bill I had in my wallet. Two tens I thought was odd for some reason...I don't know why, but I just kinda looked at the bills for a second or two before shoving them in my pocket and being on my merry way.
When I got to the church, I noticed a young woman jay-walking across the street, and as she did, I remembered thinking to myself that I was about to be separated from some of "my" money. People never ask me for money when I don't have any. But it's like they can smell it on me when I do sometimes. Often though, it's odd situations like staring at the bills like they had some kind of purpose, that is the precursor to me having to separate myself from money.
Sure enough, I looked up, and there's the woman with some sad story about needing money so her and her husband can get a room for the night. It's probably a lie, but I felt like I was supposed to give the woman some money, so I gave her $10. I got to be a blessing to someone. It's sometimes part of being the church. I need to say too, that under normal circumstances I wouldn't have given the woman the money. You never know if what they're telling you is a lie, but I just felt like I should have.
The sign on our church reads: Pray For Ogden Rescue Mission. This is gonna be part of the story, because as you know, I get to help lead a Bible study on Wednesday mornings.
About 15 minutes later, when I was trimming the lawn before mowing it on the Jefferson Ave side of the church, I saw someone I thought I recognized, so I pretended to be done and walked around the corner. The man had stopped, so as I walked by, I said "Hi (name deleted)" The last time I saw him was at the mission.
Yup, Wendi's boyfriend's brother. THAT (name deleted). We shook hands and chatted for a few minutes. Then I walked off and put the trimmer on the tailgate of my truck and walked back around and made a point of inviting him to church. I said tomorrow is Sunday and church is at ten and we'd love to have you join us (or something close to that). Joe knows who I am and in another time and another me, I'd consider him an enemy. He probably has a few reasons not to like me. Was he thrilled to see me? No, but we talked and I wished him well. I don't believe in coincidences. It was just a little divine appointment. Maybe he needed a kind word from someone to make him feel like someone cares. Someone does. Jesus does. And maybe he saw a little bit of Jesus in some guy who was mowing the lawn.
I saw some folks I knew, too. Some actual members of the church I belong to. They were coming back from the farmer's market. It was a mom, her daughter, and a young woman I don't know, pulling a wagon with a small boy and girl in it. Always nice to see people you know.
Anyway, I was done and just getting ready to leave when another man I know from the mission came by. The last time I saw him at the church he was not happy to see me and the pastor. I told you that story a few months ago. This time he was thrilled. Acted like I was a long lost friend. We had a great talk. He'd been in the hospital for a week, but had the coolest things happen to him. He met a lady there and the lady blessed him with some clothes to wear and a couple of bags to keep them in. He told me he found a $30 gift card on the street. He told me that God was doing great things in his life and we talked about how God sends "angels' that aren't necessarily spirits. The woman and her husband have some work for him, and I got to be a blessing to him by loaning him my telephone.
This man was full of joy. I gotta admit, at first I thought he was on something. He was. He felt like he mattered. He was excited to tell me his story. He had a place to sleep tonight, which means he had food. He will meet the lady on Monday and get some income. I also invited him to church. I think there's a good chance he'll show up.
We talked for a minute about being at the end and thinking of quitting (the permanent quit). He asked me if I was working at the church today and I told him that I mow the lawn to give back to the church that gives me so much.
I had the chance to BE the church today. The lawn is trimmed neatly and the sidewalks swept. The church is pleasing to the eye in the neighborhood. Being a good neighbor is part of being the church. Serving is part. Giving is another. Inviting someone that's in the dark to come into the light of Christ is another. So is loving your enemy to the point that you no longer feel enmity toward another of God's children. Hearing about how God is working in someone else's life and seeing the joy in that man's face though was just the blessing I needed today.
Mowing the lawn might not seem like that big a deal, but it's the opportunities that no big deal presented today that strengthened my own faith. That God has things for me to do; Kingdom things...it's what I needed today.
I got blessed to be useful. To be there for someone. To be a blessing to someone. My stuff doesn't matter today. In the middle of some sorrow and confusion in my own life, I felt God's grace pouring out on me.
I used the word church a lot today. I used it as a noun. I used it to signify the body of believers I belong to...or maybe family of believers is a better term. I used it as a verb. And I hope that both men I invited show up tomorrow. However, I may be in Logan, being the church to someone who is very, very dear to me.
I had the best day today. Thanks to God and to Him be the glory! Thanks for asking me to join You in Your work today!
Today, my mind was focused on the noun. The physical building that's easily identifiable as a church. It's red brick with white trim, has a steeple, and there's a cross on top of it, to signify it's a church where Christ is worshipped by His followers.
The physical church needed some love. Part of how I give back to God is to give him a couple of hours of my time during the week and mow the lawn. It needed it and apparently I needed it too.
Sometimes I get beat a little bit down by life. I admit that. I struggle with alone. I miss that intimacy you have with your special someone. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes I just don't get it. But today, I needed to mow the lawn and I made myself do it. Today it was gonna be a chore.
I stopped at the sev to get gas. I put in $30 and got two tens back in change from the only bill I had in my wallet. Two tens I thought was odd for some reason...I don't know why, but I just kinda looked at the bills for a second or two before shoving them in my pocket and being on my merry way.
When I got to the church, I noticed a young woman jay-walking across the street, and as she did, I remembered thinking to myself that I was about to be separated from some of "my" money. People never ask me for money when I don't have any. But it's like they can smell it on me when I do sometimes. Often though, it's odd situations like staring at the bills like they had some kind of purpose, that is the precursor to me having to separate myself from money.
Sure enough, I looked up, and there's the woman with some sad story about needing money so her and her husband can get a room for the night. It's probably a lie, but I felt like I was supposed to give the woman some money, so I gave her $10. I got to be a blessing to someone. It's sometimes part of being the church. I need to say too, that under normal circumstances I wouldn't have given the woman the money. You never know if what they're telling you is a lie, but I just felt like I should have.
The sign on our church reads: Pray For Ogden Rescue Mission. This is gonna be part of the story, because as you know, I get to help lead a Bible study on Wednesday mornings.
About 15 minutes later, when I was trimming the lawn before mowing it on the Jefferson Ave side of the church, I saw someone I thought I recognized, so I pretended to be done and walked around the corner. The man had stopped, so as I walked by, I said "Hi (name deleted)" The last time I saw him was at the mission.
Yup, Wendi's boyfriend's brother. THAT (name deleted). We shook hands and chatted for a few minutes. Then I walked off and put the trimmer on the tailgate of my truck and walked back around and made a point of inviting him to church. I said tomorrow is Sunday and church is at ten and we'd love to have you join us (or something close to that). Joe knows who I am and in another time and another me, I'd consider him an enemy. He probably has a few reasons not to like me. Was he thrilled to see me? No, but we talked and I wished him well. I don't believe in coincidences. It was just a little divine appointment. Maybe he needed a kind word from someone to make him feel like someone cares. Someone does. Jesus does. And maybe he saw a little bit of Jesus in some guy who was mowing the lawn.
I saw some folks I knew, too. Some actual members of the church I belong to. They were coming back from the farmer's market. It was a mom, her daughter, and a young woman I don't know, pulling a wagon with a small boy and girl in it. Always nice to see people you know.
Anyway, I was done and just getting ready to leave when another man I know from the mission came by. The last time I saw him at the church he was not happy to see me and the pastor. I told you that story a few months ago. This time he was thrilled. Acted like I was a long lost friend. We had a great talk. He'd been in the hospital for a week, but had the coolest things happen to him. He met a lady there and the lady blessed him with some clothes to wear and a couple of bags to keep them in. He told me he found a $30 gift card on the street. He told me that God was doing great things in his life and we talked about how God sends "angels' that aren't necessarily spirits. The woman and her husband have some work for him, and I got to be a blessing to him by loaning him my telephone.
This man was full of joy. I gotta admit, at first I thought he was on something. He was. He felt like he mattered. He was excited to tell me his story. He had a place to sleep tonight, which means he had food. He will meet the lady on Monday and get some income. I also invited him to church. I think there's a good chance he'll show up.
We talked for a minute about being at the end and thinking of quitting (the permanent quit). He asked me if I was working at the church today and I told him that I mow the lawn to give back to the church that gives me so much.
I had the chance to BE the church today. The lawn is trimmed neatly and the sidewalks swept. The church is pleasing to the eye in the neighborhood. Being a good neighbor is part of being the church. Serving is part. Giving is another. Inviting someone that's in the dark to come into the light of Christ is another. So is loving your enemy to the point that you no longer feel enmity toward another of God's children. Hearing about how God is working in someone else's life and seeing the joy in that man's face though was just the blessing I needed today.
Mowing the lawn might not seem like that big a deal, but it's the opportunities that no big deal presented today that strengthened my own faith. That God has things for me to do; Kingdom things...it's what I needed today.
I got blessed to be useful. To be there for someone. To be a blessing to someone. My stuff doesn't matter today. In the middle of some sorrow and confusion in my own life, I felt God's grace pouring out on me.
I used the word church a lot today. I used it as a noun. I used it to signify the body of believers I belong to...or maybe family of believers is a better term. I used it as a verb. And I hope that both men I invited show up tomorrow. However, I may be in Logan, being the church to someone who is very, very dear to me.
I had the best day today. Thanks to God and to Him be the glory! Thanks for asking me to join You in Your work today!
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