It's the first time I can remember wishing an entire year away. What's wild is that I can remember with detail what I was doing a year ago right now ... making our way to Connie's family in Mich. And thinking ... in just a year we will have over come some "huge issues" I'll call them.
Connie and I have made some choices that I'm hoping will stick.
Being a Cash organization Rocks
Giving God what's God's ... First
Trusting God for what our family needs next.
Supporting the fellowship of believer in Jesus Christ next.
Getting to know God with my world.
I hope that a year from tonight I we will have come to see these come to pass.
I listened to the MP3 for December 9 (Monday). It's an interview with he and his side kick. The basicly walk thur how their ministry was started. He talks about his mission and what he's been called to do.
They also talk about their needs.
Prayer was first. I will do that.
At one point he said that it wasn't his goal to bring relevance to the bible ... that is was relevant by it's self.
It make's me think about the scripture that says not to add or take away from the Word. Sometime with good intent it's easy to want to "speed the word up a bit" ... or to "help it out".
The "Christmas Program" was last night ... kids sing ... parents clap ... more video and pictures ... Ok, me too. My 10 year old helped me with something last night. I watcher her. She was in the back row. No solo. No speaking part. She just sang. Sang from the bottom of her heart.
She told me prior to the program that she felt bad that she didn't have a part but she was still really excited and even a little nervious about the idea of being in front of everyone ... it was cool to watch that fear melt into the moment of doing something she really enjoyed.
Some kids had solos
Some kids had speaking parts
They were talented. They did those things well.
That's good.
Something in my heart broke as I watch my 10 look in a bit of disapointment ... when her friends took the mic. Some how she still wanted to celebrate their success with them ... I cryed.
I began to look around at the other kids who were just there to sing. I wondered how God looked at their effort vs the efforts of anyone else ... w/ or w/o a "featured part" ...
Everybody has talent in some area. Some get claps, Some get CASH ... Some get the corner office.
My fear is that we've totally confused Gifts ... and Talents. And on "Sunday" we've said to our youth ...
"you are so talented ... God could really use you in a big way".
I'm yelling! ... I'm jumping on furnature!...
NO
It's not the talented that God uses to do BIG things. Define "talent" ... Define "Big things"
Do they have anything to do with an individuals reliance on God? ... Do have have anything to do with God at all? Do we really need God at all for someone to stand before us and "Star Search" with a mic?
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God can use our talents ... when they've been laid down. When they've been submitted to him ... there's even a time when the talent lead's an individual to a Gift that is bigger than themselves.
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The Gift ... is something the individual has been given. Is obvious that it's not them ... "not ability ... it's availbility." It's not about the individual, it's about God and the community that live for and worship him. Build up everyone ...
I watched during prayer ...
the conclusion ... I was still crying. Wondering how many times in my own life I've traded Gifts for Talent ... or been glad to pass off a gift (something I can't take credit for) for a talent (some thing I get full credit for).
A little girl had her hands clintched and was talking to God ... back row ... I couldn't help but to notice the masses of kid still looking for their parents ... waving ... The prayer was a formality for many ... not for this kid.
The Gift of prayer ...
I hope someone will tell that kid ... God hear you when you pray like that ... when you want His will and pray believing that He hears.
I hope some will tell that kid that the Angles took note last night
I hope someone will tell that kid that the voices may be stilled ... the tallented may one day have no platform to display their selfworship ... but the GIFT of knowing God well enough to talk to him with clintch fists ...
CANT TOUCH THAT!
I will take the Gift over the Talent ...
Any day ...
Dr. Cubie from MVNU use to hit us up with that statement. He used it in the context of the minister. The minister having Doctors, people of status in their congregations. look past them as a figure and look at how to minister to them.
But now that I'm "just a stranger on the bus trying to find my way home" ... it's taken on new meaning.
I've got people in my life that view me as "a stranger on the bus" ... no longer a guy with an door and a title. In the business world you are only worth what you produce. The "good message" dosent' cut it here.
I must still look past the possition ... that says ... Hey Flack ... you stink! ... look past that.
Freedom is all about looking past stuff that keeps us from being what God has created us to be. That kind of freedom is what we're here for. And again. I need God.
I need to be Free enough to look past it all ...
Eyes to see need
Ears to hear need
I went to the airport with Dave Downs (a friend from college). He was sending off his girl friend after a short weekend visit. Kelly. Nice to everyone. Even me.
While we waited for her to board the jet we notice a college aged man. Long nasty hair (sort of like mine) ... bent over. He was really sick. So sick that it became obvious that he needed some help.
Kelly ... nice to everyone ... took what could have been a really uncomfortable situation and just made it ok ... Just did what need to happen for this young man get the help he needed.
I doubt that she was thinking "this is a really kind thing for me to do" ... or "This will make such a good testimony for me next Wednesday night ... it's such a blessing to be 'used by God' " ... sorry.
No, someone needed help. She helped. In matter of fact, the nature of her care seemed so natural that I felt like a "dirt ball" just sitting there thinking ... Dude is really messing up the floor ... sorry.
It was Kelly to just see what need to be done and respond to it. I'm sure there was a time when it did take some effort for her to see the need of others ... but, in time, as she made it here "standard practice" ... it just became "who she was" ...
I want to serve people like that ... out of who God is making me, not out of knowing the right thing to do. I don't know what to do most of the time. I guess I'm going to have to make it my "standard practice".
Dear God, do in me what I can't do for myself. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see.
Sometimes I'm tempted to allow other to define me when I'm thinking ... they're yelling at me, I guess that's the mode of communication here. I guess I'll yell back.
Then I'm a yeller ... I don't want to be a yeller.
All the time people that I love complain about stuff. I complain about stuff too.
Then I'm a complainer ... I don't want to be a complainer.
God is teaching me ... again ... "doing unto others as we'd like them to do unto us" * ... is really a freedom concept. It's God defining us buy the grace obedience he allows us to walk in ... you know that kind of obedience we don't have to take credit for ... the kind we can't ... we know it's Him ... not us.
Being free to respond not react. I really need help in this area. There is no freedom in allowing others to define us ... doing what's done to us. There is HUGE freedom in being defined by the one who created us.
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