Tuesday, the youth viewed Evan Almighty at the local theater. It was my second time to see the film because Jody and I previewed it on Monday (you can NEVER be too careful). It is a great family feature, filled with solid Biblical truth, humor, and inspiration. I may sound like a walking advertisement, but there are so many points in the movie on which you can expound. Two of my favorite things about the movie are
1.The way that God is featured as a man, a man with a sense of humor. When Evan addresses God, he is not afraid to question Him. He talks to Him like a friend. Evan does the same thing when he prays, saying things like “Alright God, I’m hanging up now.” I know that we must treat God with the respect that He so greatly deserves. He is GOD, but who said that being respectful means using terms that we do not really understand? Sometimes I find myself praying with words that I would never use in conversation: ye, dear, and beloved. My prayers are so much deeper and more honest when I realize that God understands modern English and lingo; I do not have to speak to Him in English that mimics King James!
2.ARK—Acts of Random Kindness. The movie plays off of this acronym. Evan wants to change the world; God tells him that changing the world only takes Acts of Random Kindness. I have always wanted to do something great for God: go to another country for a season or serve in a local church. However, these “BIG” tasks do not have any more impact than Acts of Random Kindness. Opportunities to serve in BIG ways rarely come our way, but random opportunities to serve are always available: that family who is moving out of their house, can you help them carry a few things? That guy whose car is broken down on the side of the road, does he need to use your cell phone? The elderly lady who is sick, does she need a ride to the doctor? Or what about the man who is just sitting on his porch, can you make time to stop and chat? These simple acts mean more to people than any sermon or Sunday School lesson because they are done out of love and not obligation. They are provided by the Holy Spirit and not man's schedule.
This week I had the amazing opportunity to perform Acts of Random Kindness for a few elderly people from Rothwell (it was random to them, but not so random to us). Yesterday (Friday) eight of the youth baked cookies and delivered them to four senior citizens in the church. All four of these were suffering from some sort of medical problem that limited their mobility. When we pulled up in the drive way, they greeted us with an open door and a smile. No matter the condition of their hair or their house, they were not allowing this opportunity for a visit to get away from them. We stayed in each house for a few minutes (some longer) chatted with them, and tried to soothe their loneliness for a little while. One man must be really lonely; he invited us back to watch Westerns!!! One lady lives in a house that is over 100 years old and has no air conditioning! We had prayer with each of them before we left, and it was obvious that they hated to see us go. I am not sure that the youth will ever realize how much it means to those adults to see a new, smiling face at their door (or any face at all).
God also provided other opportunities for service this week.
Since returning from camp, all of the youth have been looking for ways to serve here in Pooler. The World Changers (a Christian camp where the campers provide free labor to the community as an outreach tool) were in Savannah this week, and Rothwell fed them lunch throughout the week. Kaylie Stevens (a 15-year-old youth with an amazing , spunky spirit) suggested that we deliver their meal one day and stay and work with them after lunch. When we arrived on Thursday, we got our assignment: clean-up. Not a glamorous task, right? RIGHT! Most of the World Changers team was either on the roof replacing shingles or on the ladder painting windows. We were on the ground, moving old shingles from where they landed to the dumpster. I promise this—it felt like the roof of the white house had been torn off and dumped into this backyard. We dug and dug, placing the shingles in a wheel barrow and then rolling them around to the dumpster on the other side of the house. When we finally caught a glimpse of the ground beneath us, we started singing “I saw the GROUND” (instead of “I saw the LIGHT).
After three hours of manual labor we headed back to Pooler, leaving the World Changers to finish the task the next day. We complained about how hot we were and made a show of how dirty our feet and hands were. I wanted a shower SO bad, but at the same time I was proud of that dirt. Didn’t Jesus wash His disciples’ feet, and if He washed them, they must have been dirty, correct? If we are truly the hands and feet of Jesus, I think we should get dirty a little more often. This is only the third time I have done manual labor all summer, and of that I am a little ashamed. Doing manual labor for someone is the ultimate act of mercy; for this act you receive nothing in return expect for a sweaty shirt and dirty feet and hands, but the recipient of your labor receives a vivid picture of Christ and His mercy, which is poured without measure on those who are thirsty.
Picking up shingles.
Taking a pic by the really big dumpster before the hard work began.
When David (of the Bible) was running from Saul, he was tired, hungry, desperate, and quickly losing focus. He ran into the temple, where he received a sword for the battle ahead and bread for nourishment (1 Samuel 21). This bread was meant for sacrifice and this sword was a showcase item for the Israelites, but these things were given to David in an act of mercy. Jesus himself acknowledged this good deed in Matthew 12. About this He said, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” I often give my time, money and talents to the church in an act of sacrifice, but rarely do I offer them to those in need as an act of mercy. Where does Rothwell and West Jefferson Baptist rank in this area? How many desperate Davids are being nourished with spiritual food and equipped with weapons of truth?
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