Reflections from the Home Team, March 25, 2018
“It’s
important to be aware when unfair circumstances of others make us
uncomfortable, I believe that’s the seed of Jesus’s compassionate heart nudging
us to do something about it…”
Greetings from Cedar Falls,
Well, I guess spring is right around the corner and I’m thinking
sunshine and warm temps as I finish cleaning up the 12 inches of heavy, wet
snow we received this past weekend. One thing about spring in Iowa is that we
tend to get a sampling of nearly every type of weather... Keeps us hardy and balanced!
I wanted to share a few thoughts today that have been on my mind as
I’ve had the opportunity to visit with a number of folks over the past few
weeks who have been struggling. As I visited in those unscripted conversations,
my mind focused on learning to be joyful when things don’t go as I might like.
It reminded me to pause and not begin my day determined to make everything go
my way.
Each day we will all most likely bump up against something that just
doesn’t “yield to our will”. It could be as trivial as looking at our
reflection in the mirror in the morning (sometimes scary for me) or as serious
as a serious health concern (I can relate). If we are intent upon having our
way in everything, we most assuredly will be frustrated much of the time. We shouldn’t
waste our energy regretting things that have happened. My most important take
away is that the past can’t be changed, and that we have God’s help in the
present as well as His hope for the future.
One story recently shared with me by a young person following a
presentation I gave really hit home for me…She shared that she and her mom were
curled up on the couch one winter day when she was
in elementary school, both suffering from a serious case of the flu. As they sat
and colored pictures and fought aches and coughs, they watched a movie about a
little girl in another country that found herself in a bad way.
She told her mom “I don’t want to watch this movie,
mom, it’s making me uncomfortable.” She shared the movie was about a
young girl who made history as a chess player in Uganda. Her life was anything
but glamorous, and the “reality” of the young girl’s “reality”
made her uncomfortable.
She shared her mom said “It’s important to be aware, and explained that when unfair
circumstances of others make us uncomfortable, I believe that’s the seed of Jesus’s
compassionate heart nudging us to do something about it… God pushes us out of
our comfort zone to do some major work on our hearts. He can meet us with the
flu on the couch in our comfortable family room, to teach us a lesson in
compassion, gratefulness, and our duty to take care of each other on this
earth.” A wonderful lesson on
awareness! By being aware of the
struggles people are experiencing around us, we can reach out with compassion,
love and a listening ear to help take care of each other in those times of
need, even if we may be feeling uncomfortable.
Another conversation I
had a few weeks back was with a young man who I am following as a baseball
prospect who told me that if he were a Major League baseball player, he would
be thankful for every minute of every day. That certainly is a worthy goal to pursue,
but I had to think to myself, no, you wouldn’t be thankful every minute of
every day, because it’s all a matter of perspective…
Millions of people in this world would be grateful to be
able to turn on a faucet and have clean water come out, but how thankful are we
when we do so? People risk their lives in some countries to vote. Here we often hear people complain about how
many political commercials are on television. (Guess maybe I’ve been guilty of
that from time to time). I’ve also witnessed
many people that have been struggling with sickness or even a life threatening
illness, who given their circumstance are treating others in what I might consider
and “unloving way”. Given their
perspective, they may be reaching out for the compassion and love that those
around them can help provide.
So yes, I’m sure that the young man I visited with would be
thankful to be a Major League player… at least for a while. Then he might wonder why he wasn’t playing
more, or why he wasn’t making more money like some of the others he sees. I will try to remember to be thankful for as
much as I can each day, seeing the miracles that are present in my life while
being thankful for them. If we would start to
look at the world like that, I think we might be surprised at what we see!
God does this not to
make us feel guilty for our blessings or lazy for our lack of action. He pushes
us out of our comfort zones with people’s “stories” to set us free. Having a
heart of compassion that drives us to action sets us free. There is no
commandment greater than to love each other, and we are living truly free when
we are extensions of His love.
As John 3:16 tells us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God gave us Jesus so that He could be with us at all times, both good and bad; and, as a bonus, He loves us no matter what!
Wishing you all a blessed Easter as we extend our hands and hearts to those who need our love and support!
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