You Matter
2020 has been a year of intense experiences and emotions for each of us. The hills and valley seem to merge into an endless cavern that seems never-ending and nearly impossible to climb. Can you relate?
The tension of our world is palpable, and the impact on our personal lives is significant. The desire to engage people met with the reality of COVID-19 has impacted nearly every mundane task, meaningful relationship, and standard measurement to gauge how life is going. What was up seems down, and what was down seems up. Longing is defining almost every story I am engaging in—a longing for solidarity and living equal in a world that elevates—a longing for connection in a season of a pandemic-a longing for certainty in a time of uncertainty.
What about you? How are you doing? Would you mind sharing that with us by taking this survey?
God has seemingly led me to a ring for a wrestling match. I am wrestling with God, thoughts, ideas, direction, etc. daily to make sense of grief, pain, forgiveness, next steps, hope, doubt, and my place in providing witness and solution.
In all of this, God has led me to a sincere belief that he is calling me, you, the church to engage. What? How? How do we engage amid a pandemic? I think it starts with the truth:
God is still in control - Isaiah 6:1. Amid the tragedy of losing a good King, Isaiah saw a vision that God was still on the throne. I know our world doesn't make sense to us anymore, but there is one thing that will never change! OUR GOD REIGNS!
God cares for me and you - 1 Peter 5:7
God is asking us to say yes - Isaiah 6:8
He has a plan, and it includes you and me. We matter. We are his hands and feet. He wants to use you to change the world. WAIT. STOP. That sounds too big. Well, the way he wants to use us isn't. We transform the world by being a blessing.
B - begin with prayer. Pray for your neighbors, family, friends.
L - listen. Find someone you can spend a few moments listening to. Listen to their struggle, their wins, their concerns, their heart.
E - eat. When it is appropriate, take the time to have a meal with someone. Bless them with your presence. I was blessed just today by eating lunch with a friend while sitting 6 feet apart at a park. It is possible even with COVID-19.
S - serve someone. Find a way to help. You can run to the store for a vulnerable neighbor. You can buy groceries for someone. You can say thank you. You can deliver a cookie from crumble -- I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE.
S - share your story. The previous four things will make room for you to share your story about how God is sustaining you. Andrea did that just this week by sharing about our nightly prayer walks. God has sustained us, not with answers, but with his presence as we walk, process, and pray together.
Family, it is time. It is time for you and I to be the church. Luke 10:2 says, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." The harvest is ripe. God wants to use you and me to join the harvest. We do that through simple acts of kindness and listening to that BLESS others!
Start today and share your story with us. Let us know how God is using you! And remember, He uses us in the small, seemingly insignificant moments to produce eternal life change. Don't worry about small or big, BLESS SOMEONE TODAY WITH YOUR PRESENCE!