Wayfarer Wisdom

It was one of those picture perfect days.

Temps in the high 70s - so unusual for August in New Jersey, no humidity, not a cloud in the sky, a light breeze.  As soon as I could escape the office, I slipped behind the wheel of my car and headed out to pick up a friend.  Earlier in the day we had made plans to take a walk along the D&R canal towpath just a few minutes from her apartment.

The canal water's surface was broken only by the occasional fish jumping for an insect dinner or mallard family paddling by.  A gaggle of Canadian geese on the far bank dined on golf course greens, and a lone heron flapped his large, grey wings and lifted off and out of sight.  Bicycle riders passed us from behind and several dogs...a black lab, boxer, and bulldog were out walking their owners.

A little farther down the path a man and woman came walking toward us with their young son.  As we passed and greeted each other I said "good morning" instead of saying "hi" or "good evening" since it was already almost 6.  As soon as I realized my mistake, I laughed and said "Oh boy, I guess I don't know what time it is!"  At the same time, the woman started laughing and pointed toward the man "He always says good morning!".  Her husband chimed in "It's true. Morning, noon or night, I always say good morning.  I figure this way.  If I wake up, I'm blessed, so it's a good morning.  The rest is just extra."

Who knew I'd find wisdom on the towpath?  

To wake up to a brand new day is a blessing, and every minute I'm given after that is just icing on the cake...while I know that's a wonderful way to look at each day, I confess I'm not always grateful each time I open my eyes.  Illness, lack of sleep, lousy weather, problems and stresses left over from the day before can all lead me to utter more of an "ugh" than a "thanks for another day, Lord". 

Then again, sometimes I wake up feeling fine, but as the day drags on, a bad attitude creeps in and makes its way to the surface.  How different might each day be if I paused here and there to reflect on the gift of all the added minutes I'd been given since waking up?  Better yet, what if I used those pauses to say "good morning" and readjust that bad attitude?

With each passing moment I have another choice to embrace the good and let go of the bad.

So "good morning" to you no matter what time it is, and I challenge you to appreciate your 'extra'!

The Lie of "I can't"

"I have no artistic talent" were the words I uttered to the girl working behind the counter at the ceramic shop yesterday. 

"That's crazy" said my friends. 

"Well, okay...I can write, and sing, and even act a bit, but painting...not so much."  I refused to give all the way in.

You see, some co-workers and I wanted to get together for a girls day out.  We wanted to do something fun and different.  So when we found a Groupon for ceramic painting, we bought it.

As we walked into the shop, my eyes glazed over.  So many pretty things!  Bowls and plates and vases and figurines...all beautifully decorated and calling my name.  But the sales girl told me some of the items I expressed an interest in required artistic skills like being able to free-hand a picture.  And so I made that statement.

Finally, I chose the owl in the picture above.  But I was still moaning about my lack of ability.  The sales girl - who seemed a little exasperated with me at this point - said "Can you trace?" 

Well, of course I could. 

"Can you color in the lines?" 

Pretty much since I was 3 thank you. 

"Then you can do this!"

In truth, it wasn't that simple.  There were several steps.  First I blew into a straw that was in a cup of paint and water creating bubbles which went up over the side of the cup and onto the plate, covering it.  Once it was dry, I did it again with a second color. 

Think about being 5 years old again and blowing bubbles with a straw in your chocolate milk...and you've got the idea.  If you look closely at the blue background of the plate, you'll see the cool circular effect it created.

Once both layers of the paint mixture were dry, I took the picture of the owl, placed it on the plate and used a pen to go over the lines in the picture, pressing hard to try to create a stencil outline.  I say 'try', because with two layers of paint on the plate, seeing the lines was practically impossible.  I wound up free-handing quite a bit of the design using the picture as my guide.

When all was said and done, and the plate was handed over to be glazed and fired, I realized it wasn't simple, but I did it.  Maybe I do have a little artistic talent.

Painting a plate in a ceramics studio might not seem to have spiritual implications, but it's not about the plate really.  It's about the attitude.  It's about being afraid to try new things.  It's about speaking negativity into reality.  It's about doubting the gifts God gives us.

Why do we limit ourselves?
 
For me, I believe it's the sin of pride.  I don't like to fail - and I certainly don't want people watching me fail.  So it's much easier to simply say "I can't" and take any opportunity to try off the table.  I forget that it's not about what I can do, but rather, what God can and will do through me if I'm willing. 

Yesterday reminded me of another time when I spoke the words "I can't."  When God was prompting me to speak to my pastor about community outreach.  I clearly remember saying to him "I think we should do this, but I'm not a leader."  And yet God has placed me in a position of leadership that has not only changed my life but the entire approach to community outreach in my church. 

The next time you're tempted to back away from something new, something a little scary, something with the potential to fail, remember "I can't" is a lie that can always be countered with "He can." 

Gorillas & Mules & Fools - Oh My!

Have you ever wanted to get something off your chest?  Put it all out on the table?  Address the gorilla in the room?  You know it's something that might have consequences once the words are out there but at that very moment, you're convinced you don't care - you just want to speak your mind!

I'm not always good at muzzling my thoughts.  (Right now those who know me best are uttering a sarcastic "Nooooooooooo, really?!!")  I have been known on more than one occasion to speak out of impulse and emotion because I just couldn't STAND the injustice of the situation another minute!

Basically, I stink at waiting.  That's problematic since waiting is generally needed for discernment, because waiting is often required to hear from God. 

On those occasions when I do manage to wait, it's often not silently and reverently with an ear toward the whisper in the wind. No, I'm much more likely to become head of the debate team. 

Yes, I, mere mortal that I am, try to explain to the God of the universe (read: argue with) why I should act in a certain manner. Forget that I'm full of faults and my past behavior of being the fool who rushes in where angels fear to tread has caused me nothing but embarrassment, heartache, or a full belly of crow. This time will be different!

Such was the case for me recently. I wrote a response to an email that I really, really, REALLY wanted to send. I was chomping at the bit to make my thoughts known, but I was counseled by two friends not to send it. I tweaked it. I saved it. I re-read it. I tried to talk both myself and my friends into the validity of it. They disagreed. I tweaked it some more.

The next day, I did what I should have done in the first place. I prayed for wisdom and discernment.  My prayer wasn't exactly textbook holy...it kind of went like this: "Lord, you know I can be stupid...please speak to me clearly through your Word this morning so I know what to do."

Be careful what you ask for if you really don't mean what you say. The devotional I read talked about being silent before God.  Seeking His face for guidance. I read the accompanying scriptures which were along the same vein, but then I noticed the previous year I had written in another scripture passage. I must behave this way more than I realize.

Psalm 32:8-9 says "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you."

Did I mention I had been 'chomping at the bit' to send the email? 

I deleted it. 

There's a saying "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt." It's very close to Proverbs 17:28 which says "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue."

Actually, Proverbs has a lot to say about fools. In 18:2 we read "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions" and in verse 7 of the same chapter it says "A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul." 

I'm sure if modern technology had been around in Biblical times the verses could just as easily have been written "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in posting all his opinions on Facebook" and "A fool's keyboard is his undoing and his texts and emails are a snare to his soul." 

I don't know about you, but while I aspire to be many things, a fool is not among them. 

Words, whether spoken or written, can never be taken back. Once that "send" button is pushed, you may just be opening your mouth and removing all doubt as to your foolishness. Thank you Lord for answering my prayer with clear instruction and providing a second chance to act wisely!

Adventures in Community Outreach - A Day of Service Part 2

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my church's Spring outreach which will take place June 1st...Central Cares Day.  I gave some background on how the idea evolved and the names of the organizations we'll be serving.

Today I wanted to provide more information on the nuts and bolts of how to put something like this together. 

First, last and always...pray.  Every outreach we've taken on has been a God-sized dream and they keep getting bigger.  Because they are so far out of the realm of our limited ability, at some point in each outreach, I begin to listen to the voices of fear in my head.  This time, I confess, I even considered canceling on a few projects because I worried there were not sufficient volunteers.  But when God is in the planning you have to trust that no matter how big the outreach seems, no matter how impossible it feels, He will be faithful to provide everything you need because it was His idea in the first place!  And so He has.  All work sites are a go as volunteers have poured in during the past few days.

Second...ask.  Because we've been working with service organizations like Dress for Success, The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and the like, we had some connections already.  But a simple internet search and poll of those we know turned up many more non-profits and social service organizations to contact.  We also spoke with the superintendent of an inner city school system and an urban church.  It is rare to encounter a group willing to turn down free labor.

For the most part, I obtained a contact name and sent an email saying we had groups of people willing to do tasks such as painting, minor repairs, light landscaping, serving a meal, interacting with residents/clients, etc. and asked if they had any needs that would fit the bill.  I also explained we had set aside Saturday June 1st from 9-12 to perform the tasks.

Third...collect information.  When I received a positive response, I sent a form with basic questions like "Type of project?(painting, repair, landscaping, etc)", "How many volunteers needed?", "What tools can be provided?  What tools need to be supplied?", "Minimum age for volunteers?", and "How will the project benefit your organization and the community?" I also asked for the project address, a jpeg of their organization logo, and a contact name and number for the day of the event.

I took some time to visit most of the work sites to take pictures and see first hand what was needed.  In the case of several of the larger projects, the leaders also visited the site in advance of the project to make their own observations and plan out pre-event prep.

Fourth...budget.  We were blessed to have a donation made to our ministry for use toward the purchase of supplies, however we also solicited local home improvement stores for donations of paint, mulch, trash bags and the like.  One of the three stores contacted will be helping us.  I'm working with local store managers, but typically, donations have to come through a corporate office via their web site so putting in a request a minimum of 90 days in advance is recommended.

Fifth...recruit. Once we had a general idea of how many people would be required to cover all the work sites, we needed to advertise and recruit for volunteers.  Because this outreach is so comprehensive, we created a booklet to provide potential volunteers with all the information. Our designer took the information we gathered and created a layout which arranged outreach opportunities by age.  This helped volunteers with children to narrow down choices at a glance.  Again, we're blessed by having a congregant who does amazing design work for us for free...the design at the top of this post is her creation and appears not only on all our materials for the event, but also on the t-shirts we will wear that day. She was also responsible for the Free Market signage and t-shirt designs.

Recruitment was done in stages.  First, we personally invited those we thought would be a good fit for leadership roles at each site.  Next, we handed out the brochure to congregants and explained the event.   We provided a sign up form in the back of the booklet as well as a link to a free online service we highly recommend called "Volunteer Spot".

Having a pastoral staff that supports the outreach is very important.  Often when we have church-wide outreaches, the sign up phase is the culmination of a sermon series on a subject that ties in to the purpose of the outreach. The volunteer sign up allows our church to take what they've learned and put it into practice.  Service has really become part of the DNA of our church!

In addition, we use social media to "advertise" the event.  Those photos I took were posted on our Facebook page along with a description of the project and the link to Volunteer Spot.  The pictures of the work site and project details were helpful to some who needed more than just a written description to visualize the need.  We also encouraged those who weren't part of the congregation to join us.  As a result, friends, family, neighbors and co-workers of attendees will be part of the day.  I have found that people want to help - you just have to show them how and give them an opportunity.

Sixth...details.  I won't lie to you...when we took on this event, I thought it would be easy because we didn't have to come up with the project ideas or do things on our property.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  There are a million details in the coordinating and I have an incredible team of people to help tie up those loose ends.  Details include everything from shopping for supplies to coordinating rides and everything in between.

Seventh...giving thanks. One thing multiple outreaches have taught us is that when many people are part of the effort, not everyone knows/hears all the "God stories".  We will put together a picture presentation with stills and appropriate music that's shown a week or so after the event, but it's just not the same.  This time we are ending the outreach with a meal and time to share the God sightings from the day.  It is my hope that this time of fellowship will allow all those involved to be encouraged as they hear the stories from each of the work sites.  The meal is also a tangible way for us to thank our many volunteers for their time and service.

If you've made it this far, congratulations - that was a lot of information to plow through!  As always, if you desire more information or guidance on how you can bring this type of outreach to your community, just contact me via this blog and I'd be more than happy to provide you with more information.

And stay tuned...Central Cares Day is just a week away.  I will be bringing lots of pictures and stories of the day to this blog in the near future.



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Rowing In The Right Order

Last weekend, I headed to the lake to discover there was a regatta going on.  For those unfamiliar with the term, it's a series of boat races typically between rowed or sailed water craft.  This particular regatta was a competition where long boats are rowed.

I've seen the races before, but this time, as I watched the precision of the rowers and listened to the shouts of encouragement coming from a passenger in the boat, I grew curious about the details of the sport.  What I learned after some research was just how much a rowing team resembles our Christian walk...or at least how it should look.  For starters, just look at the teamwork required just to get the boat IN the water. The team needs to lift the burden together... just as we should be lifting one another's burdens up in prayer.

Then, once the boat is in the water, each of these team members has a specified position in the boat.

Using an 8 person boat as an example, the one closest to the front of the boat, or the 'stern', is called the 'stroke'.  This is the rower who is the most technically sound member of the team. It is that person's responsibility to establish the rhythm and rate of the boat - or basically, the speed at which they proceed.  In the picture below, you can see a person facing the rowers.  That non-rowing member of the team is the 'coxswain' and his responsibility is to steer the boat by working with the 'stroke', to provide motivation and encouragement to the crew, to let the crew know where they are in relation to other crews and the finish line, and to make any necessary race tactic calls.

Not to over simplify things, but when I think about the positions in the boat equated to our Christian walk, I think of Jesus as the one in the stroke seat with God as the coxswain.  Jesus is in the intercessor postion, establishing the rhythm of our lives when we're in submission to him. God's in the boat with us, directing us, providing encouragement throughout the race and the only one who can actually see the finish line.

The middle rowers are the body of believers.  We are to keep our eyes looking ahead, trusting on God to guide us.  We faithfully serve, pulling together to stay consistent in the race, and working together toward a common goal.

The last 2 rowers in the 8 person boat are called the bow pair.  This pair are more responsible for the stability and the direction of the boat than the other rowers, and are often very technical rowers.  In my little analogy, these would be our leaders, our pastors and the like.

So if the rowers all have a position in the boat that utilizes their strengths, what if one started to complain about their position within the boat?

What if a middle rower decides to switch positions or stop rowing? 

I'm not even sure it's physically possible to stand up in one of those long boats let alone crawl over others to switch seats...but I'll tell you what...aren't we all guilty of having made the attempt at one point or another in our lives? You know what I'm talking about. 

You think you can do something better than the person doing it...or

You think you're doing all the work with none of the credit...or

You don't see why you should have to be the one to volunteer...again...

Worse yet, maybe it's not another member of the body you have issue with...maybe you want to be in charge of the rhythm and rate of the boat. 

What if you try to sit in the stroke seat?

Yes...I'm talking about switching seats with Jesus.  C'mon, you remember...

Those times when things weren't moving along fast enough for you...

Those times when you thought switching lanes would give you an advantage...

Those times when you foolishly thought you could be face to face with God and tell him you could do a better job getting where you wanted to go...

And what happened?  You rocked the boat.  You capsized the boat.  Or maybe you just caused the boat to go around in circles without moving forward so long you got completely disoriented.

It's time for one more comparison today.  You see that big white boat in the picture?  That boat is like the Holy Spirit.  It follows the crews throughout the entire race.  The person in that boat chastises the rowers if they begin to stray from their lane.. he keeps them on the straight and narrow as it were.  If anything happens to a rower, they are there to pluck them up out of the water. 

In our Christian walk, as in rowing, there is a proper order to things.  We need God at the head or we run the risk of being in the race but getting off course because we cannot see the finish line.  We need Jesus in our midst to set the pace.  He intercedes on our behalf with the Father and together they guide us.  

We need to work together as a team, understanding that each person has strengths and weaknesses and God has placed us in the position He wants us in so we are best used to accomplish His purposes.  If we try to switch up that placement we run the risk of bringing harm to the entire group.  Our pastors and teachers are there to give us the stability and guidance we need as we navigate the sometimes rough waters in our lives.  We need to listen to the Holy Spirit to keep from straying from what is right. 

How are you doing today?  Are you fulfilling the mission of your position in the boat? 

Are you rowing in the right order?