Angelic Customer Service

This summer I have been working in a retail position in order to keep busy and earn money so I can continue going to school. I have never worked in retail before, so it is a new and enlightening experience. I honestly have never had a "real" job before, so I'm moving up in life. But really, I am enjoying it. I am learning lots of useful stuff about working and life and such.
One of the new experiences I have had with this job is just being around so many people - "the public" - for an extended period of time. I don't even know how many different people I encounter throughout the work day, but it's a lot. Really any customer service job will include this experience, but like I said, it's new for me. The only other time I have experienced this is in large public places, such as the airport or a theme park.
I don't get to spend very much time with these people either. I have never met them before, and yet I have to make conversation and provide good service. I would say the average amount of time I will spend with a customer up at the register is two minutes. How much impact can I really have?
At times my pondering mind is overwhelmed with the amount of stories and emotions that enter the store each day. I often wonder if any of these people are believers, and if I would ever know if they were or not. A verse came to mind the other day, from Hebrews 13:1-2, which says, "Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." I believe that this verse applies to all of life, not just in terms of hospitality. Could I have rung up an angel for their electric wine bottle opener at the register? That's a dizzying thought. Whew. But really, people entertained angels and even the Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible and did not know it. So crazy. I always think about angels in large public places, but now I think about it almost every day. This is why the writer of Hebrews says for brotherly love to continue, and for us to show hospitality (love and kindness) to strangers. Jesus commands us to "love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return...be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:35-36).
Back to the stories and emotions that are a part of every person that comes in to the store each and every day. Usually you know what's going on with your friends and family, because you're closely involved with many parts of their life. You know when they're going through a hard time, and you're there beside them helping them through it. But with the people that you only encounter for two to five minutes, how much can you really help them? You have no idea where they've been, what they're going through, or how they're really feeling that day. But that's just the point. You have no idea. Doesn't that mean we should everyone with the same amount of kindness, no matter how they treat us?
There was a quote I saw on the internet a while back by J. M. Barrie (author of Peter Pan): "Always be a little kinder than necessary." That strikes me as something we should always be reminding ourselves. I don't think you can ever be too kind. That's not humanity's problem. We either think that this person doesn't deserve kindness or we are too busy or important to deal it out. As believers, we should be challenging ourselves to be kinder than we deem necessary, and to continue raising the bar. Romans 11:22 says, "Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off." May God use His Holy Spirit to work in us the eyes to see the immense love and kindness of Christ towards us, and the hands to transfer that love and kindness to each and every person we encounter in our lives.
I challenge you to be enthusiastic and energetic in your "inconsequential" and "coincidental" relationships, those that you encounter in every day life. Be kinder than necessary; don't brush people off because you believe that you'll never see them again. Be the love and kindness of Christ to all people, whether it's the Mary Kay-caked customer at the register, your annoying younger brother, or the hungover waitress at a run-down diner - or an angel in disguise.

Weary Soul (Consider Him)

I finished a song. I have decided to put my songs that I finish on here, because I need to get them out there in some form or fashion. This song started originally from the cries of my heart, but then I realized that it went very well with the 3rd verse from Hebrews 12: "Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." Christ is our motivation to keep going through adversity. Hope you enjoy "Weary Soul (Consider Him)". 

Being pushed and pulled

Carried by the tide

The tide that's always so low, low, low

The stars don't seem so bright anymore

Two steps forward and three steps back

Reigning sin devouring faith

How long will it last?

Weary soul lay your head down to rest

Tired traveler, hand over your heavy burdens

To the Lamb that was slain

He was nailed to break your chains

Fainting heart dry your tears; it's all right

Restless soldier, stay the night

Your King has won the fight

And you were the prize

Let His reign begin

Weary soul, consider Him

Thieving thoughts invade your mind

And you lose your sense of what is right and what is wrong

But it's been going on for so long now

You feel the culprit can't be found

Drooping hands and shaking knees

Steady yourself on the mercy seat

You're worn out and you're jaded

Deciding on giving up

But He's not done with you yet

He was rejected, you were received

He was wounded, you were healed

Consider Him

Spelling Mishaps

     Have you ever had an entire conversation based upon something that someone said incorrectly, or something that you thought that they said? For instance, your brother says, "Remember that time we ate raw eggs?", and you hear, "Remember that time we ate frog legs?". Both would make for a very interesting conversation, but it turns one way because of what you thought he said rather than what he actually said. I have had this happen to me many times. Something similar happened this morning in Sunday school, only it wasn't someone talking, but rather writing.
     My dad teaches the adult Sunday school, and he was talking this morning about finding our identity in Christ, and he wrote the word "identity" on the white board. Actually he wrote the word "indentity" on the board, which actually isn't a word, but we all knew what he meant. Nobody spoke to alert him of his spelling error, and so the word stayed up there in bright green letters. As I continued to look at it, that got me thinking.
     For believers, that spelling of the word is really more appropriate. The world's message to finding your identity is to find it within yourself. "Find yourself" and "Be who you are" are common inspirational phrases that I have heard. Your identity is found in "I"dentity. You are the only person you can trust and you must believe in yourself in order to accomplish greatness.
     On the contrary, Christians do not find their identity in themselves but rather outside of themselves. You are who you are because of what you are in - the family of God, Christ's kingdom, the royal priesthood, holy nation. The Christian's identity is an "In"dentity. Colossians 3:3 says, "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Our life is no longer our own, and our identity is no longer our own.
     My dad continued to talk about living as children of God - the believer's identity. It makes no sense to just say "I am a child." You cannot take any real pride or meaning in that because everyone is a child. But if you say, "I am a child of God.", that means something altogether more important and wonderful. To be God's child means everything for your life. What matters is not who you are (a child), but what you are in (Christ), and what you are a part of (His family).
     Praise be to God that as believers we know who we are, because Christ paid the ultimate price for us to be adopted as sons and daughters into His marvelous kingdom! Adopt more children into the family each and every day, Father!

Which Kingdom?

A couple of days ago I read this passage from 1 Corinthians 12, which talks about the church being one body with many members:
     "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." (vs. 26)
     I remember thinking, "yeah that's true...or rather, it should be true." How many times do we see someone suffering, and we do not have empathy for them; how many times do we see someone being honored, and instead of rejoicing, we become jealous and bitter toward that person? Too many times to count has this been the case in my life. More often than not does the church fail to live as one body straining together towards the goal of the glory of God. More often than not do we continue to seek our own recognition, success, and comfort rather than that of others, or more importantly, of God. 
     I still remember from a youth retreat about five years ago a message that was given that discussed the dissonance between two kingdoms. The first kingdom was God's kingdom (the BIG kingdom), the kingdom that encompasses all other kingdoms and which the Lord will reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15). The second kingdom was "our" kingdom ( the little kingdom), which we try to hold on to ever so tightly. It includes our sin, our self-will, our self-indulgence, and our self-love. 
     For a Christian, the dissonance between the two kingdoms happens when we do not want to loose our grasp on our wishes and embrace the will of God. Belonging to the little kingdom will leave you disappointed and destitute because you will never fulfill your desires through your own reasoning and you will be struggling against God the whole way through it. When you are willingly and lovingly a part of God's kingdom, he will fulfill your every need and desire, and bring Him glory and you good all the days of your life.
     I have an example from a worldly source (gasp) that I think fits rather well with this topic. It is from a TV show that I have been watching recently called "Merlin". It is a loose telling of the younger days of Merlin and King Arthur during the beginning of the great days of Camelot. Because magic is outlawed at the time, Merlin has to keep his magic secret from everyone even though he is Arthur's servant and has to save his life using magic many a time. Many other sorcerers have risen up against the king and have become enemies of the kingdom, seeking their own gain rather than the gain of the kingdom. Merlin, however, keeps his magic a secret in order to be able to protect Arthur and allow him to build the great kingdom that has been prophesied about for many years. Even though Merlin is the greatest sorcerer ever to walk the earth, he lives like a shadow for the cause of the kingdom. 
     It is not an easy thing to set aside our selfish desires and needs and take up our cross daily and follow Christ. But the special part is that we are following. Christ has already been where we're going. When we keep our eyes fixed upon Him, He will be the light that illuminates our life. We will see those who are suffering and we will suffer with them. We will rejoice when others are honored, because ultimately it is God who is glorified, and that is the only thing and that is everything that matters. May we continue to see more of the BIG kingdom and strive for its continuance, rather than be caught up with the petty tendrils of the little kingdom. 

Motifs

     I always really liked the word "motif", thus my use of it for the title of this post. It means, "a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc." It really can be anything, as long as it continues to reappear throughout the story.
     There is a hymn that I have been continually humming for quite some time now, especially the one line, "Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be 'till I die". The hymn is entitled, "There is a fountain filled with blood" by William Cowper. "Theme" is a good word, but I almost like "motif" better, because it gives the idea of recurrence. Or maybe just because it sounds cooler. Nevertheless, this theme (motif)of redeeming love shall be the theme of every Christian until death. 
     I fully agree with the aforementioned statement, but I would also like to pose a question concerning it: Does not every Christian have their own motif that is particular to their walk with the Lord? The theme of redeeming love encompasses all Christians, but are there not individual themes that certain people relate to better than others? We are saved as a body, but we are also saved as individuals. 
     I was discussing something like this with a friend a while back, as she was telling me that God continues to show her just how much He loves her. He loves her despite her sin and failures, and He always gives her what is best for her. It was beautiful to hear her talk about it, because it was like she was starting to "get it". She was understanding a little bit of God's immense love for her, and it was exciting because she is one of those people who need to be loved and know they are loved. I would say that my friend most clearly understands the gospel through 1 John 4:10, "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
     I do not necessarily see the gospel as clearly in that light. Yes, I know that God loves me more than anyone else could ever possibly love me, and that gives me great comfort. But it is not in the understanding of his love that I "get it". It is rather in the idea of freedom. Freedom from bondage to sin, from the slavery in darkness. Free to be the slave of Christ. As Tullian Tchividjian puts it, I am "free to be weak...free to lose...free to be no one...free to be ordinary...free to fail." One of my favorite verses is Galatians 5:1, which says: "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." 
     So, Christian, what is your motif? In what way do you discover the gospel? Figure out what your motif is, and exhaust yourself by continuing to dig deeper. Discover Christ in a more personal way, and then stretch yourself by hearing about the motifs of other believers. You won't be disappointed. 
     

Beginnings

          My mother (and many other mothers) always told me that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Even though I like breakfast food, I never really put that truth into practice, especially as I got older. When you have to be at school at 8:25am and you wake up at 8am, breakfast was not on the list of top ten things to do before going to school. This viewpoint has carried over into my college life as well. Try as I might, there are those days when I don’t get breakfast, for one reason or another.

            Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Nutritionists (and I) would say it’s because it’s the first meal of the day. It gets you started, so that all the gears start turning and working at their best at 7am instead of 10am, when your body suddenly realizes it has no food to keep it going, and so it takes from other bodily resources. Not eating breakfast doesn't only affect your morning life, either. Studies have shown that those who do not eat a healthy and substantial breakfast are more likely to binge eat or eat unhealthier later in the day. I have seen this as true in my own life.

            All this is to say that beginnings are important. What kind of breakfast you eat or don’t eat in the morning determines how you’ll eat and function for the rest of the day. The pace you set at the beginning of a run determines how successfully you will complete it. In singing, I have learned that the way you start a phrase is the most important part in determining how you will finish it.

            I would like to take time to expound upon the musical example of this phenomenon. For those of you who are not singers, I am about to get rather technical, so bear with me.

            There are two things that are important when beginning a phrase of music, and they are interconnected. One is the firming of the glottis, or the vocal cords. The second is the breath flow. One cannot work without each other. The breath must flow in order for the cords to come together, but if the chords are not firm enough then the breath will not be used efficiently. As a singer, you must do both of these things simultaneously at the exact moment that the phrase begins. You must also use your brain to determine the correct pitch and thus correct firmness of your vocal cords. Sound hard? Yes, well that’s why professional singers spend about ten years in training and don’t start their career until they’re thirty years old.

            Anyways, the exciting part is that if you do this at least semi-correctly (which I have begun to do personally at times in my training), you will have a freedom and flexibility that you have never possessed with your voice before. You don’t ever worry about running out of breath, and each pitch is spot on and resonating for all it’s worth. The thing is that our bodies know how to sing, but it is our brains and their foul misconceptions that mess us up. We just have to set ourselves on the right course with the right start, and our bodies will take care of the rest. Granted, this is not the only element to singing, but I believe it plays a very big part. How we approach and start a phrase is key to the rest of the phrase.

            Now we get to the really good stuff: how this all applies to our spiritual lives. Now, I use that phrase “spiritual lives” like it’s something separate; let me remind you that it most certainly is not. Everything is interconnected. Therefore, hopefully you have already made the spiritual connection to what I have just said, but in case you haven’t, let me make it for you.

            Christ is our Rock, our firm foundation. On him we must rest upon for everything. He is not something or someone that we come to only in times of trouble or times of happiness; rather, He is the bread we must feed upon daily. Just like breakfast, He is the most important and only meal that we should eat each and every day. Therefore, it is important that we spend time with Him at the beginning of every day. It gives us the right focus, energy, and motivation for the rest of our day. Just like leaning upon the vocal cords, we will experience such freedom and flexibility as never felt before. There is no substitute for Jesus Christ. For the vocal process to work there must be a leaning sensation. The breath must press against the cords. My voice teacher used to say that “Those who give up their breath for the sake of the phrase will find it, but those who hold onto their breath will lose it.” – essentially a witty restatement of Matthew 16:25. Singers must lean their breath fully upon their cords and trust that the cords will carry them where they need to go. Likewise, we must fully rest upon Christ and His work on the cross, although how much more reliable of a foundation is he?! How much more can we trust him with our lives, seeing that He has given His up in order to save us?

            Romans 5:6-8 says, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

            Praise God that He is in control of our lives, and will carry us where we need to go, if we would only trust Him. May we be more trusting of the Lamb that was slain in our stead, and be faithful to hand over our lives to Him at the beginning of each and every day.

Church on Fire

I had the immense privilege of attending the Passion Conference in the Georgia Dome a few days ago. I could create multitudes of posts about everything that I learned, heard, witnessed, and experienced. However, I am going to create one post expounding upon a revelation I received while participating in a very notable experience.
First I must describe the experience. For those of you who don't know, Passion revolves mostly around the theme of slavery, or human trafficking. This experience was a way for American college students to show the world that they want to be involved in the abolition of slavery. Each of the 65,000 students at the conference received an ordinary white candle, no longer than 6 inches long and maybe 1/2 inch in width. We all proceeded in silence out to the Dome Plaza, and stood in silence until someone began to hum a hymn or two. We waited in the darkness and cold, until suddenly there was some commotion coming from the center of the mass of people. A light had emerged, the first candle had been lit. The flame was then passed from candle to candle, person to person, until it reached the last candle on the outer edge.
An enormous light also was turned on that stretched three miles into the night sky.
All of us then let out a yell, a scream, a cheer, a chant - whatever noise we could make. We were shouting for the end of slavery, to make the voices of the oppressed heard. We continued to shout for several more minutes. Helicopters with cameras whizzed by us, wanting to capture this moment forever.
I will remember this moment forever. It is the clearest picture of God's church that I have ever been given.
One light must start in all. Then it is our responsibility to pass it on to others. We do not have the ability to give it to those who are several hundred feet from us, but rather to those who surround us. We were placed in a certain spot in order to give the light to those who were near us.
The purpose of the flame was not just to give light. It gives warmth. It awakened our bodies for a time from the cold. The power of the fire invigorated us and gave us life. It gave us energy to proclaim our message to the world.
And also, my favorite part: we received a flame in order that we might revive those around us whose flame has gone out. There was one guy next to me whose flame kept going out because of the cold wind, and had to keep asking me to relight his candle. I did not get irritated by how many times I had to do it, but rather rejoiced that I was able to relight his since mine had not gone out. I might even go so far as to say that my flame grew stronger from lighting the candles of others.
While I was trying to protect my flame from the wind, I realized how hard it was going to be to get through the night without the help of those around me. I had to have my flame revived at least once.
Processing all of this in my mind, I had tears in my eyes. Seeing a visual representation of the importance of community made so much sense. And the astonishing fact is this: no one cared or knew that my candle went out except for the few around me. No one cared or knew that I lit that guy's candle over ten times. No one cared that I was the 34, 789th candle to be lit.
But what people did care about is this: that there were 65,000 candles lit that night, protesting slavery and proclaiming the name of the God who has the power to defeat it.
Matthew 5:14 is so much more real to me now: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." No one could ignore our presence at the Dome that night.
Isaiah 49:6 also sheds light (heh heh) on this subject: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth."
The church is the light among the darkness of the world. Jesus Christ is the originator of that light. We are to spread that light to the ends of the earth, and to revive those whose light has gone out. May the church be a church on fire because of you, Lord Jesus!