Author Archives: valencia68

About valencia68

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With gratitude, I openly play and learn in the diverse waters of creativity and connection.
April 14, 2014

Silent Giant

By valencia68

Last weekend, I had the experience of a lifetime and the most interesting Palm Sunday ever. I travelled to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit one of the city’s most unobtrusive residents, Dovey Johnson Roundtree; a silent giant who spent 75 years of her life using the lectern, pulpit, and the love of God to impact her community. Today, she spends most of her time in a wheel chair. Her mind seems perpetually adrift, when in fact she is ever-present in the moment, just selective about what she responds to.

The pretext for the visit was to find a lucid moment and tap into the brain trust about the relationship between the 14th amendment and education reform (the law and education – two disciplines that are embedded on her heart and embodied in her actions). Leading up to the event, I watched as many videos and read as much about her on the internet as I could. My readings included her book called Justice Older Than the Law, an award-winning memoir of her life co-authored by Katie McCabe. Nothing could have prepared me for the experience I had; one not of academic value, but of greater spiritual relevance.

I entered the health and rehabilitation center, signed the guest book, and walked straight to her room. Although she was not there, my unimpeded stroll to her sleeping quarters should have served as a neon sign that I would be in the presence of someone extremely approachable. There was a woman sitting in the dayroom across the hall whom I dismissed as possibly her because I was so certain I knew her physical attributes. I looked for her in several other resident gathering spaces and even asked staff members on other halls where she might be. It turns out, she was the first woman I saw in the dayroom. I should have known that she is a quiet soul who possesses the ability to blend in anywhere.

I began talking to her. Her eyes were closed, brows were furrowed, chin was tucked to her chest, and her arms were folded. She did not respond to my unfamiliar voice. I sang a song to her and it was as if there was merely a corpse seated in the wheel chair. My travel companion, quiet in her approach, gently touched her hand. Ms. Dovey’s eyes opened and her spirit awakened. She began to speak of spiritual things – blessings of the day, the glories of God’s gifts, and the mysteries of Christ’s love unveiled. I took the cover off my lens and began shooting the development of this organic bond building that seemed to authenticate this silent giant I had previously only read about. The knowledge I had obtained about her accomplishments and awards for her, were merely footsteps in a life’s journey that, until that day, had persistently ambled for 99 years 361 days. I wasn’t aware until then that stillness is both her sword and her slipper.

A child born in 1914 of humble and meager southern beginnings, she persevered against the odds to become a teacher, an army officer, a lawyer, a civil rights activist, a minister, an author and an advocate for children and poor people in her community. Throughout her life, she blazed the trails before her and lighted the paths behind her while standing firm on the foundation of her faith. Wondering how she could and questioning if she would, were not threads in the tapestry that is Ms. Dovey; answering the call of her Lord and Savior are. She knows all too well the meaning of the words that Josh Wilson put to music in his song Pushing Back the Dark – “(Let your lights all shine…). Oh, oh, don’t underestimate the God you follow. He is the light that burns inside your soul, So keep on shining ’til the whole world knows. Whatever you do, just don’t look back. Oh somebody needs the light you have. Whatever you do, just don’t lose heart. Keep on pushing back the dark, Just keep on pushing back the dark.” His child still and almost an earthly centenarian, she continues to be a beacon of light that is used to repel darkness in this world.

A few hours into the visit, a stately spirit, with a spouse in tow, arrived. Being a woman of the cloth and of proper southern upbringing, she entered the room and gently inquired about our relationship to Ms. Dovey. Having been Ms. Dovey’s hairdresser and confidante turned minister, they had a special closeness that only comes with 40 years of friendship. When my travel companion explained that she built an affordable living apartment building for senior citizens across the street from the church that Ms. Dovey preached at for 35 years and named the building Roundtree Residences in honorarium, and I pulled up a photo of the building from my phone, the Mrs. Reverend warmly welcomed us and invited us to the service she and the Mr. Reverend were having for the residents.

We went to a multi-purpose room to worship and sat amongst people whose bodies and minds had failed them, but whose souls were still alive. The small crowd of 20 or so were a diverse group who enjoyed singing praise to the Lord and being fed by His word. Hymns familiar to any Christian denomination, including Amazing Grace, Jesus Loves Me, and It Is Well, were selected by the amalgamous congregants to honor the Savior. The Mr. Reverend taught a sermonette from Psalm 100 which says, “Raise your voices; make a beautiful noise to the Eternal, all the earth. 2 Serve the Eternal gladly; enter into His presence singing songs of joy! 3 Know this: the Eternal One Himself is the True God. He is the One who made us; we have not made ourselves; we are His people, like sheep grazing in His fields. 4 Go through His gates, giving thanks; walk through His courts, giving praise. Offer Him your gratitude and praise His holy name. 5 Because the Eternal is good, His loyal love and mercy will never end, and His truth will last throughout all generations.” (The Voice) The Mrs. Reverend, who had a voice and a hat that made Aretha Franklin sound and appear conventional and routine, then asked me to read from the gift my travel companion brought for Ms. Dovey – a copy of the District of Columbia proclamation which made March 13, 2013 Dovey Johnson Roundtree Day. The most widely known accomplishments and accolades in the proclamation were three pages long. As I read, the most muddled minds in the room became lucid as the crowd applauded and cheered. The spirits that appeared to slumber through the message, found voices that filled the room with amen, hallelujah, and praise God! The silent giant then gave a coherent speech that told a story illustrating that faith makes anything possible. By the end, I found myself lost in a fog of perplexity caused by the infinite number of relevant lessons presented when God fills a place with His spirit, reminding us that we are all his children and he has given each of us a calling as well as a purpose.

My greatest revelations from the experience were:

  1. David was not great because he slew Goliath but because God destined him to greatness and David answered his calling
  2. God uses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary for His kingdom
  3. Jesus gave His life to bring us all to the same place
  4. Amazing things happen when we come together with a common focus of worshiping Him
  5. Our most luminous moments occur when seeking and praising Him

Lincoln Brewster says it so well in Majestic with, “Oh Lord, Our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. The heavens declare Your greatness. The oceans cry out to You. The mountains, they bow down before You. So I’ll join with the earth and I’ll give my praise to You…”

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April 7, 2014

Curbside Justice

By valencia68

Yesterday, after returning from a women’s retreat that included a three-hour drive through the Allegany Mountains, I stopped by the store to pick up a few items. As I approached the entrance, I saw a familiar face strolling along the curbside headed towards the same entry door. It was one of the store cashiers who was returning from a break. She was talking on her cell phone to someone about issues related to a job corps. I entered the store and went on my way to get my groceries.

When I completed my shopping, I noticed that same cashier had opened a lane and was wiping down the counters while waiting for a customer to arrive. Although no one was waiting in her line, I passed her register so I wouldn’t have to face the social ills that make me uncomfortable. You see, a few weeks earlier, I was at her register and noticed she had bruises on her neck and chest and her arm was in a bandage. When I asked her what happened, she said she was clumsy and had fallen down the stairs. The shapes and location of her bruising made her story implausible. What challenged the strength of my heart strings even more is that she had severe dental issues and appeared to be six months pregnant or two days postpartum. My lack of desire for seeing her bilious condition is what caused me to pass her register. Then the parable of the Good Samaritan came to mind. Luke 10:30-35 says, “30 This fellow was traveling down from Jerusalem to Jericho when some robbers mugged him. They took his clothes, beat him to a pulp, and left him naked and bleeding and in critical condition. 31 By chance, a priest was going down that same road, and when he saw the wounded man, he crossed over to the other side and passed by. 32 Then a Levite who was on his way to assist in the temple also came and saw the victim lying there, and he too kept his distance. 33 Then a despised Samaritan journeyed by. When he saw the fellow, he felt compassion for him. 34 The Samaritan went over to him, stopped the bleeding, applied some first aid, and put the poor fellow on his donkey. He brought the man to an inn and cared for him through the night. 35 The next day, the Samaritan took out some money—two days’ wages to be exact—and paid the innkeeper, saying, “Please take care of this fellow, and if this isn’t enough, I’ll repay you next time I pass through.” (The Voice)

Feeling convicted, I prayed Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath as a prayer. It says, “Give me Your eyes for just one second. Give me Your eyes so I can see everything that I keep missing. Give me Your love for humanity. Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted; the ones that are far beyond my reach. Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten. Give me Your eyes so I can see.” My grandmother’s voice then spoke to me and said, “If you don’t get your rump back there…” My mind shrieked back, “But I have nothing to give!”

Still feeling anxious about what I would encounter and what God might call me to do, in an act of obedience, I turned my cart around and went to her lane (all the while praying that I would have a genuine and positive reaction to her.) I then asked God again to allow me to see her through His eyes.

She courteously greeted me. As I stood in front of her and she would not make eye contact with me, I quickly realized that injustice in her life was all too common. Her alcohol-atrophied skin, meth-ravaged teeth, and native Virginia dialect that made southern Ebonics sound like the king’s English, told a story of perpetual marginalization of a disenfranchised life.

James 2:18-20 tells us, 18 “I know what you’re thinking: ‘OK, you have faith. And I have actions. Now let’s see your faith without works, and I’ll show you a faith that works.’  Don’t you realize that faith without works is useless, like a glove without a hand or a hat without a head?  19 Do you think that just believing there’s one God is going to get you anywhere? The demons believe that, too, and it terrifies them!  20 The fact is, faith has to show itself through works performed in faith.  If you don’t recognize that, then you’re an empty soul.” (The Voice)

I first noticed that her stomach was flat. I wondered if she lost her baby or circumstances required her to return to work immediately after delivery. I didn’t ask, I just prayed. I also saw that her previously bandaged forearm had a Japanese script tattoo. When I asked her the significance of it, her gaze raised from foot level to knee level as she told me it was her name. I asked when she got it, where she is from, and if she gets to see her family often? With each question answered, her line of sight adjusted to my waist, then chest, then shoulders. When she finished ringing me up and handed me my receipt, I told her thank you. I pushed my cart a few feet as she began helping the next person in line. I paused, called her by name and said, “have a nice evening.” She smiled, looked over her shoulder into my eyes and with great sincerity said, “Thank you so much.” I then realized I did have something to give. I gave her basic human dignity and respect.

The encounter made me understand that justice is best administered through the fruits of the holy spirit and that injustice is caused by a deprivation of the fruits. The experience left me with this:

  1. This world is not just but we can bring moments of justice to it
  2. Regardless of one’s condition, love has a soothing essence
  3. Every moment is an opportunity to disburse kindness, goodness, and gentleness
  4. Curbsides and mountainsides are equal when it comes to sending and receiving joy, peace, and patience
  5. Faithfulness and self-control go a long way in building His Kingdom

Margaret Anderson says, “As I look at the human story I see two stories.  They run parallel and never meet.  One is of people who live, as they can or must, the events that arrive; the other is of people who live, as they intend, the events they create.” In the Kingdom of God, the two are designed to meet and on His demand, frequently do. Proverbs 30:12-13 reminds us just how close we are with, “12 Don’t imagine yourself to be quite presentable when you haven’t had a bath in weeks. 13 Don’t be stuck-up and think you’re better than everyone else.” (MSG)

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March 30, 2014

Amazing Grace

By valencia68

People come to yoga for various reasons and from diverse walks of life. Those who  stay muddle through the poses, stretching and straining as they struggle to learn the purpose and proper positioning. Those who stay, infinitely lean towards enlightenment, a place of perfection they are comfortable never achieving. With each practice, internal doors are opened and pathways of knowledge are illuminated. Truths that have always existed are revealed. Intrinsic connections are made that strengthen the being and allows the yogi to share with and embrace those around him. The biblical corollary 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “17 When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!” (TLB)

I have practiced yoga off and on for several years. In the past when I practiced regularly, I could move into and out of most beginner and intermediate poses with ease. Then, life happened and I stopped practicing. Because I am a former martial artist, the semantics of yoga are not foreign. For instance, warrior II is easily translated as a modified front stance; warrior I is a slow and exaggerated pre-position in a kata before grabbing your opponent’s head and driving your knee into his mid-section; etc. What I have learned this go-round from my return to the mat is that the physical part of the poses is a miniscule part of what yoga is about. One cannot begin to grow until an internal transformation has occurred. The yogi becoming the pose, instead of striking the pose, is the proof that understanding is occurring. In those moments, the yogi extends beyond himself and emits an energy strong enough to inspire and support those around him. His multi-sensory experience releases shackled ideas and unleashes creativity. With a discharged ego, he takes his learning to the next level.

It is inspiring and encouraging to watch the courageous yogi make her umpteenth attempt at a headstand. Having been on the mat next to her for a while, I have seen and felt her progression. I saw her when she started. At 40 pounds overweight, she couldn’t get her feet a foot off the ground. One year later, she could kick off the ground, touch her heals to the wall, immediately boomerang back to the balls of her feet and then fall forward onto her knees. Two decades later, she stands with her feet hip-width apart, bends forward at the knees and waist, and places her forearms on the floor in front of her. Slowly and methodically, she shifts most of her weight onto her forearms, with only a small portion of her load remaining on the balls of her feet. One foot takes to the air as the same leg levitates into a vertical position with the other following to join. With grace and a radiant positive energy, she enters into and maintains a headstand. She is the pose! When enough time has expired, she slowly bends at the waist and knees, allowing her legs to gently descend as though gravity’s power cord has been cut. Her feet delicately arrive on the floor as if the ground were made of rose petals. The sensory awakening one enjoys on a spring stroll through a flower garden is the same pleasure she encountered.

Christians are very similar to yogis. We are a very diverse and eclectic group. There are many times we are called to do things that prepare us for our future. Many times we ignore the call. Other times we answer it, only to be distracted by something else that causes us to quit. I have been called into a relationship with God many times. At times I have ignored the call. Other times I have gone through the motions of going to church services that didn’t speak to me and reading a bible I didn’t understand. I would meet with a congregation for three to six months and then other areas of my life would beckon my attention. A year later, I would try it again – only to be overcome by other events.

Verse 18 continues with, “18 All these new things are from God who brought us back to himself through what Christ Jesus did.” When I moved into my house, my next door neighbor invited me to go to church with her. I declined because I already had plans to travel to Delaware to enjoy the sunrise over the ocean and the weekend at the beach. The day before the beach excursion, one of people whom I was to accompany uninvited me by calling me to tell me that I shouldn’t come because she didn’t think the trip would be child friendly. She said I could come if I wanted to find a babysitter and leave my child behind. I knew the babysitter statement was sheer rhetoric as everyone who knew me also knew that with the exception of work, my child and I were two pieces of an inseparable package.

Feeling hurt, abandoned, and confused, I went back to my neighbor and asked her if it was too late to go to church with her the upcoming weekend? She said, “Of course not. We are delighted to have you.” My neighbor drove us to an outdoor service that was held on the banks of the Rappahannock River. The message spoke to me and led me to establish a lasting relationship with God. When someone rescinded my invitation to the ocean, it opened the door to a lifetime membership to the river of life.

Verse 19 says, “And God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into his favor and be reconciled to him. 19 For God was in Christ, restoring the world to himself, no longer counting men’s sins against them but blotting them out. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others.” We are constantly called to bring his children to Him. To do so, we must invite people, embrace people, love people, pray for and with people, walk with people and most importantly, share our lives with people. His son shared his life, gave it up, and returned as proof that he defeated death to give us a new birth.

For those who still question, the answer is simple: The bible is a love story of an amazing Father seeking the presence of lost children He wants to adopt to give them the unconditional love they are desperately in search of. He even sent his only begotten son to seek and save them. It explains, through story after story, how He pursues the children and keeps a watchful eye as they drift in and out of His presence like the cyclical tide because they are constantly pulled away by distractions. Their ways cause them to wonder and stumble as they ignore His guidance in favor of following their own path. Eventually, there is an awakening for some that causes them to listen to Him. Their stillness allows the truth that has always existed to be revealed to them. Some of them try out the things He offers. After a bit of practice, they comfortably begin to move about as they were intended to do – because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. When they are weak, instead of tumbling to their deaths, they simply fall into the plushness that is His great grace. As for the rest, He is still reaching for them and waiting for their arrival.

By putting away our ego, He lives and shines in us. By learning His ways, we deepen our understanding and take living to a new level. Through living by His guidance, we increase our likeness to Him. Others are able to see His reflection through us. There we stand, not necessarily artfully, but definitely because of His amazing grace.

He called someone to lead us and they answered. Will you do the same? Will you extend beyond yourself, make connections with others and accept the invitation to light a path for them that leads to Him?  Verses 20-21 tells us, 20 We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, receive the love he offers you—be reconciled to God. 21 For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins. Then, in exchange, he poured God’s goodness into us!

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March 25, 2014

Shaken (Not Stirred)

By valencia68

Have you ever shown up, rearing to go – with an agenda in hand, prepared to predict others’ next moves and control the outcome of the experience you’ve just entered – only to encounter others who seem to be ill-prepared, slow on the uptake, or just flat-out lost? All too often, we start our days with a clean slate that we quickly fill up with our “to do” lists. We draw a small square and write the task next to it. Once the task is complete, we mark it off by placing an X inside the square. The object is to have as many boxes with Xs as possible at the end of the day. On those days, accomplishments mean the most. We don’t even consider the miniscule effort it would take to initiate an exchange with those running, seemingly stuck, in first gear. What does it take…a little patience.

What about the souls impacted by the pursuit of results that ignores their present day experience and lacks the attention, compassion, and kindness needed to embrace them into this moment? In that instance, what we don’t know may not hurt us but it could feel crushing to them. What we don’t know is what it took for them just to show up and be physically present in the situation that you and I are hurriedly moving and check-listing our way through. We think that slowing down and connecting causes us to lose time; when in fact, it more likely causes us to gain connection with the fragile souls around us. A sixty-second conversation, a slight touch of the hand, a smile, a soft-spoken “hello”… What does it take…a little kindness and attention.

Instead of listening and being a witness, we act… as the final arbiter. What we see, we label. What we hear, we snicker at. What we think we know, we judge. The reality is typically a deprivation of some sort resulting in a fog of confusion that consumes the rocky path that is this person’s journey right now. Our insensitivity can create storms of fear and shame of colossal proportion that causes greater withdrawal into the internal killing fields of doubt and regret located in their empty or broken hearts. Our harsh words sound like the echo of thunder. Our insensitive tone scorches like a bolt of lightning – feeling like the swell of misery or a flood of destruction. Some hide the pain behind good manners with a smile while others change colors and lose affect. Some resiliently snap back. Others, well…not so much. What does it take…a little sensitivity.

Job 16:3-5 tells us, “3 Your long speeches never end! Why do you continue arguing? 4 I also could say the same things you say, if you had my troubles. I could say wise things against you and shake my head at you. 5 But I would say things to encourage you and give you hope. (ERV)

MercyMe captures the thoughts of the resilient with faith, praying for escape, but who were blessed with the upbringing in His teachings in I can Only Imagine:

I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by your side. I can only imagine what my eyes will see when your face is before me. I can only imagine… Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still? Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine…

Oh how blessed we are when we encounter the resilient. They are the faces of God’s grace. Because of the single set of footprints in the sand, we are able to push the restart button; the one that allows us to say, “I’m sorry! Let me try this again”; one that allows the tape to replay carols of compassion instead of chords of criticism, the harmony of forgiveness instead of the sharpness of fear, or melodies of stillness instead of the staccato of shame. Psalm 37:24-26 tells us, “24 If they fall, it isn’t fatal, for the Lord holds them with his hand. 25 I have been young and now I am old. And in all my years I have never seen the Lord forsake a man who loves him; nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry. 26 Instead, the godly are able to be generous with their gifts and loans to others, and their children are a blessing. (TLB) What does it take…a little compassion.

I dare not mention the frail. We have not walked a mile in their moccasins and therefore do not know their circuitous, tumultuous journey or their condition upon arrival. Third Day illustrates this point in I Need A Miracle when they sing: He lost his job and all he had in the fall of ’09. Now he feared the worst, that he would lose his children and his wife. So he drove down deep into the woods and thought he’d end it all and prayed, “Lord above, I need a miracle”. Through love, we can be that miracle. Our requirement is to refrain from placing His children in boxes and to put away the Xs. They are His essence, not inane objects bristled between tasks. We all have hearts that pump blood and chambers that long for trust-filled loving connections. A little warmth, kind words, and a smile may serve to obscure the shelves that house permanent solutions when temporary problems are all that are on the table. Hebrews 12:14-15 calls us to: “14 Pursue the goal of peace along with everyone… 15 Make sure that no one misses out on God’s grace…” (CEB) What does it take…a little love.

This recent revelation has led me to understand that we are called to:

  1. Serve as guiding lights to one another; not to serve as driving rains that obscure the vision of others and make their paths slick
  2. Serve with patience, kindness, compassion and sensitivity
  3. Pave the road according to His will, not our agenda
  4. Recognize that we each have different talents and separate challenges And
  5. Remember to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace

Storms will blow in with gale force winds that lift the covers of certainty off our circumstances. The driving rains will spin our schedules into a whirlpool that drains our best laid plans. Hurricanes will blow ashore and knock out our power for long periods. Torrential downpours will cause landslides that we may never fully recover from. With capacity, faith, and other followers, weathering the storms is merely a foot race. Without the capacity to have faith, followers must be the candlelight for others from the edges to the eye.

Whether this seems sobering or intoxicating, a cocktail of one part forgiveness, one part faith, and two parts love, shaken (not stirred) over cubes of His grace, creates a smooth thirst-quencher that is easy for any consumer to swallow. Psalm 107:28-30 says 28 Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and he saves them. 29 He calms the storm and stills the waves. 30 What a blessing is that stillness as he brings them safely into harbor! (TLB)

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March 17, 2014

Join the Walk of Faith

By valencia68

This week, I was on travel to make a presentation at a regional training conference.  The conference was in a bustling metropolitan area on a coastline with a mountain range to the east.  My morning view from the hotel was beautiful as it overlooked the sea.  However, my travel to the government facility that hosted the training was typical of an inner city commute, mired by heavy traffic.  Unfortunately, mass transportation was dangerous and insufficient and HOV lanes do not exist.  Crosswalks were not plentiful, which caused work-bound pedestrians to cross lanes of traffic at unsafe points.  Other onlookers seemed somber and appeared to stand still as if they had no place to go and no specific time to be there.  It turns out, they didn’t – no job, no home, no money, and little hope.

The pollution trapped between the eastward sea breeze and the gorgeous mushroom spectrum mountains created an early haze that took six hours of solar pressure to release.  The slow ride gave me plenty of time to see, even through the thick and opaque air, the appearance and expression of financial and spiritual poverty.  Matthew 26:11 tells us: “You will always have poor people with you, but you won’t always have me.” (GNT)

Upon my arrival at the training facility, there were long lines of people seeking applications, interviews, and appointments to gain relief from their plight.  Some will receive relief and an opportunity for a better life through escape.  Others will not.

I waded my way through the people and entered a space that had a familiar feel; one with fresh, well circulated, floral fragranced air that was absent the gazes and scents of indigence.  The circumstance created a sterile environment with a sense that all was good in the world.  Meanwhile, I was separated from hungry broken souls only by a double reinforced steel door and 100 feet.

Thankfully, God is the bridge of peace between the sturdy and the splintered.  The faux purity as well as the perceived sepsis can only gain true life through His unconditional love.  Uniquely, His love multiplies as it is divided.  To keep it, those who have it, must share it.  He sent His son as proof of His love, an act greater than any earthly father would contribute or any human son would sacrifice.  John 3:16-18 tells us “This is how much God loved the world:  He gave his son, his one and only son.  And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.  God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was.  He came to help, to put the world right again.  Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under a death sentence without knowing it.  And why?  Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.” (MSG)  In This Man, Jeremy Camp sings: And we just don’t know the blood and water flowed and in it all He shows just how much he cares; and the veil was torn so we could have this open door and all these things have finally been complete.  Would you take the place of this man?  Would you take the nails from his hand?

So what is our part?  I know that handing out greenbacks to every person in tattered clothing may not be the answer.  Taking every beggar into our homes may not be the long-term solution.  Moving to the slums of India may not be what we have in mind.  But there is so much we can do.  We can: smile and acknowledge the presence of as many human beings as possible; engage others in conversation while withholding judgment about how or why they got to where they are; educate ourselves that there is no hierarchy in humanity; pray, pray, and pray specifically; donate to a food pantry, or take a mission trip to volunteer our trade craft.  There are many means we have to let Jesus’ light shine through our eyes, mouths, and hands.  Jeremy Camp in Healing Hand of God tells us: I have seen the healing hand of God, reaching out and mending broken hearts.  Taste and feel the fullness of His peace, and hold on to what’s being held out – The healing hand of God. 

I reversed my ride amidst the neon signs of destitution and despair (homeless families sleeping on the street, badges of prostitution and drug use, hungry youth rumbling through trash, boarded up businesses, and constantino wired homes).  Yet I know there is hope.  I see it in the soup kitchens in churches, in the changed lives of the neighbors who are now sharing among each other the little they have, with the medical personnel who give some of their time to provide free treatment, and among those who take the time to speak to the faces of deprivation around them.  All of these are acts of love and give hope to us all.

The return car ride brought about this cascade of thoughts:

  1. God is love and love brings hope
  2. Hope breeds joy and Joy brings smiles
  3. Smiles show happiness and happiness encourages
  4. Encouragement shines lights and lights illuminate paths
  5. Paths diverge but narrow ones lead to Him
  6. He is God, the great I Am

How can we join the walk of faith of another?  By spreading the love of God.  We can’t do it if we don’t engage.  However, if we listen, ask, encourage and inspire, we can spread spiritual wealth.  When was the last time you held a conversation with the face of spiritual distress or financial hardship?  It has not been recent enough for me.  Please, join me on the walk by starting today.  What you say can make a positive difference.  Hawk Nelson tells us in Words:

Let my words be life.  Let my words be truth.  I don’t wanna say a word unless it points the world back to you.  I wanna speak your love, not just another noise.  Oh, I wanna be your light.  I wanna be your voice.  Let the words I say be the sound of your grace…

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March 10, 2014

Start Where You Are

By valencia68

I have been a Christian for many years.  After several years at my old congregation, I had stopped growing and began to feel spiritually broken.  I finally left that church because my child was also no longer happy.  She just reached her breaking point before I reached mine.  One Sunday, instead of going to our old church, we found a local church that had previously sponsored a community day event.  We had a good time at the earlier event and enjoyed the service we later attended.

We became regular attenders and I have been a member for the past six years.  It is a bible-based church whose mission is to help others become fully devoted followers of Christ.  One of the principles that supports the mission is the idea that saved people serve people.  Recently, someone asked me why I serve?  The bible tells us, “But the Lord will redeem those who serve him.  No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned” (Psalm 34:22 NLT).  I answered by saying that I am called to serve because service is what called me to where I am.  Although I could not do very much in the beginning, service has had a huge impact on my life and has been the answer to my prayers.  I prayed that I could be in a place I could call home, have a sense of community, and make a global impact. I had no idea that I would find all of those things in one place or that serving would change me in the process. 

When I first arrived at my church, I was the single mother of a pre-teen and was struggling to keep it all together.  I was polished and poised on the outside but was sometimes holding on by a wing and a prayer inside.  Casting Crowns’ Does Anybody Hear Her paints the picture of where I was with, “She is running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction.  She is trying but the canyon’s ever-widening in the depths of her cold heart.  So she sets out on another misadventure just to find she’s another two years older and she’s three more steps behind.  Does anybody hear her?  Can anybody see?  Or does anybody even know she’s going down today?  Under the shadow of our steeple with all the lost and lonely people searching for the hope that’s tucked away in you and me.  Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?”

The two things that left a positive first impression of my new church on me were the heart-felt message and that the people I encountered (volunteers) made my child and me feel genuinely welcomed and loved. [These people did see and hear me!]  As I returned several consecutive sundays, the messages continued to resonate and people kept serving, seemingly with great joy in their hearts. The consistency of the experience led me to go through the Discovering Membership class and become a member.  My faithful God had answered a prayer by giving me a family (his loving servants) and therefore, a place to call home.

Because of the demands of work and raising my child, coming to church was the only extra thing I could do with any consistency (and that only included going to the hour-long late service). Although I knew neighbors and co-workers and even had friends, I couldn’t the find time to spend with them.  One day, a staff member invited me to help with the Discovering Membership class.  She told me it was a one-time three-hour commitment and my pre-teen could come with me and help out with child care.  We tried it and thoroughly enjoyed the interaction we had with others who were serving.  Over the next year, we helped out with a few Next Steps and Discovering Membership classes.  I met several people, was able to have meaningful and stimulating conversations with them, and we became friends.  Through a conversation I had with a sister, I learned that I could meet more like-minded people and engage in my passion for cooking if I was willing to take a few minutes every six weeks to bring snacks for the other volunteers.  I realized God had answered another prayer by giving me a sense of community.

Over time, I transitioned from spiritual survival to spiritual growth.  I joined a small group and because of my new community, I learned a lot — including different ways people were serving in the church.  I prayed to God that one day He would see to it that I could serve a few hours per week like those around me and that I could do something to make newcomers have the same positive experience I had when I first came.  As the months passed, the people in my small group continued to pass on spiritual lessons to me that I had a chance to share every time I traveled overseas.  I realized that God had answered my prayer of allowing me to have a global impact.

Wait! He wasn’t done yet.  He continued to lighten my work schedule so that I was not always so exhausted, which in turn, gave me the ability to say yes when volunteers asked me to help out in other ways.  I first filled in occasionally on the Guest Services team.  I then added every now-and-then assistance to the usher/greeter team and Kids Time.  As more time passed, God continued to execute his plan.  Now, I am still on a regular rotation with serving food for other volunteers, I fill in for Guest Services, I am a head usher/greeter and I co – lead a small group. He answered my prayers of allowing me to spend more time serving as well as being able welcome and love newcomers.

All of this in just six years and all because God’s servants met me outside and gave me a front row parking space (parking team), took me by the heart at the front door with hugs and smiles (greeters), took my child by the hand to a fun-loving environment (Kids Time), showed me around (Guest Services) and got me connected (small group).  Although my initial prayers were a bit self-serving, God used service to place me where he wants me and continues to use me for His good.  As I got to sit and learn while others served, I now have the honor and privilege of serving so others can sit and learn.  And I have a ball doing it.  I get to come to my church home at least twice per week, engage with people in the community, and learn lessons that I can then spread throughout the hemispheres.  Serving has changed my life. The model I see all around me and the one I pursue is Martha’s work with Mary’s heart – the results of joyfully listening and serving Him.  Casting Crowns in Love Them Like Jesus epitomizes how we should serve His children with, “Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him.  His yoke is easy, His burden is light.  You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions; just know that He loves them and stay by their side.  Love them like Jesus.”

My reflection on this part of my journey has reminded me that:

  1. God is faithful
  2. Take all things to Him in prayer
  3. Start where you are
  4. Meet others where they are
  5. We are not our own when we serve Him

Be sure to continue to obey all of the commandments Moses gave you.  Love the Lord and follow his plan for your lives.  Cling to him and serve him enthusiastically (Joshua 22:5 TLB)

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