Stepping Out to Help Others Step In

 

Have you ever attended a gathering and you’re the only one over-dressed? Gosh, it feels all eyes are on you as soon as you enter the room. Last weekend, I took my decked-to-the-nines 10 year old to a Christmas party. It was the first time she had been to this friend’s home and her nerves and excitement had been building for a week. She looked beautiful in her black lace dress and red velvet shrug. As we walked in, Ava inched behind me with her hands clutched as she realized all the other girls were wearing jeans.  Mom fail #2,847!

This got me thinking about all the firsts we experience throughout our lives. Walking into a new school. Entering a social event to find cliques have already been made. Visiting a church seeking food for the soul but not knowing one. We all have a first time for everything. For some, it can attack us with anxiety. But maybe it’s not first encounters that you find difficult. Maybe it’s the 300^th and yet still feel as though you don’t belong.  Awkward moments and uncomfortable situations can have us scouting for a sandbox to bury our heads in or worse make us question why we bother trying at all.

Human beings have a tendency to cozy up with comfort. Why? Well, it’s just that – comfortable. Familiarity breeds security. However, at some point, we are all pulled out of our comfort zones. When that happens, whether it’s our choosing or not, unfamiliar territory can birth uncertainty. It's so important for us to remember those feelings so that when those around us experience them, we can reach out to help.

All throughout the accounts of Jesus, we read that He welcomed ALL. No matter the background, their talent or if they wore designer sandals. Jesus not only welcomed others but He invested in them. As Christians, we are called to imitate Christ. Paul tells us to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7) I can’t help but wonder what it would look like today if Jesus was visibly here and walking on this Earth. I envision Him having coffee and doughnuts with outcasts among other things.

Back to my story…things turned out wonderfully for my daughter that night. She made new friends, took silly pictures and ran so much her shoe broke. By the end of that evening, she had totally forgotten she was the only girl in a dress.  All of this happened because someone chose to step out of their circle to help her step in.

Food for Thought:

When is the last time you did something for the first time? How did it make you feel? Did anyone befriend you?

In what ways can you help someone feel loved and accepted? 

 

Hands of Time

 

A baby was born, all things were new.

With my tiny hand in yours, you whispered “God, thank you.”

 

As a kid we kneeled side by side for bedtime prayer.

With hands folded gently, we thanked God for being there.

 

Twelve was too old for me to hold your hand.

So you let go and asked God to fill me with faith and firmly stand.

 

By the time my hands were on the steering wheel of a car,

I didn’t want to participate in prayer so you said them from afar.

 

I was stubborn and rebellious and many mistakes were made.

When everyone around me left, you and God always stayed.

 

Tired of searching for the purpose of life,

I opened my hands in surrender and thus stopped my inner strife.

 

A baby was born and all things were new.

I lifted my hands to God with gratitude.

As the hands of time changed, so did mine and yours.

No matter the circumstance, I always saw your love for the Lord.

Because your life tells a story of how God has used you to help others persevere,

With your weary hand in mine I can whisper, "I’ll take it from here."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunny Side Up

 

"Flip the cushions to the good side," is what I said to myself while in preparation for many houseguests that are to arrive in two days.  Our patio furniture has been put to good and frequent use. We keep the cushions cruddy-side up to make sure it's brother, sunny-side stays clean for visitors. Our home is never as clean as it is before we have guests. Can you relate?

Why is it we feel the need to give an appearance of a spotless home and perfect life?  Could it be we want to impress others with an illusion that we have it all together? You know, the joker-sized smile on Sunday morning.  Children perfectly posed on our latest Facebook post. A successful career that affords lavish trips. No one has to know that the smile we wear is to hide the tears from a fight with our loved one. That it took 20 takes before getting the one good picture of our kids. That the 5 day beach trip came after 360 days of a high-stress, unrewarding job. 

We seem to worry more about what others think of us and less about living authentically. God is omniscient and already knows everything we will think, say or do (past, present and future).  Thankfully, He is the only one who has it all together and He has made it so we do not have to rely on ourselves but on Him. We don't need to air all of our dirty laundry to the public, but  we do need to confess sin to each other and pray for each other so that we may be healed. (James 5:16) When we are honest with God and each other, two amazing things happen. The light of Jesus breaks through what is dark and covered and guides our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:79) and our transparency helps lead others to feel they too can do the same.

I'd like to say that I didn't think about those cushions after this but it just isn't so. Old habits die hard. As I went to turn them over, I realized one side looked just like the other. Should anyone notice or comment my response will be: "This is me, living authentically."

STOP

I took a walk today and stopped to sit on a bench facing the water (pictured above). Behind me is a lot of traffic and noise but in front of me lies beauty and calmness. With my earbuds in and current favorite song on, I closed my eyes and there it was, what I wanted to feel...His presence. It can be challenging to stop. I wondered how many times I had actually taken time out at midday on a Monday to be still with God. The answer is I cannot remember. I'm sure this is often the case with most of us because we don't have the time. And we have other priorities. But the thing is, we do have the time. We just have to make it . It may take creativity or taking time away from something else but can we afford not to? My answer is no. Our God in Heaven longs to have a relationship with us. Relationships grow stronger when time is invested.

The song I was listening to has a chorus that goes something like "I see the evidence of your goodness all over my life." I've never felt that more than now. As I reflected on this past week, I was able to witness many people surrender to the Lord and seal where they will spend eternity. I saw my daughter light up like I've never seen her and shout with pure delight. I watched my son walk into a room and help lead kids his age to Christ.

Those reflections lead to a heart of gratitude. Contentment. Peace. Those three things are hard to find in the hustle and bustle.

Today, I would encourage whomever reads this to go somewhere quiet and turn on that song that speaks to you. Close your eyes, be still and call to God. He will meet you there... Actually, He's already there.