The Parable of John F Kennedy

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

John F. Kennedy

knowing God is not enough.

I spent today sitting in a coffee shop listening to worship music and simly being. And during my frequent attention-deficit-disorder-scannings-of-the-people-places-and-things around me, I noticed a display with books about the Kennedys. One book about the life was open to a page that had the phrase “An Unfinished Life”. I kept staring back at this phrase transfixed by the idea of living an unfinished life when we aren't dead yet.

Hear me out.

Knowing God isn't enough. I could know God, go to a weekly worship service, spend time in the word and it would be living an unfinished life.

Hear me out.

I saw a coffee cup quote while sitting here (I get distracted easily, this I know) that said “just when the catepillar thought it was all over,it became a butterfly”.

I know you're thinking what in the *&$^%&$ does this have to do with the price of an egg in China?!

Hear me out.

Romans 1:21 says:

“for although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him because they became futile in their thinking...”

We know of God but are we congnisant of Him around us? Would we hear if He asked us to pay for the car behind us in a drive thru line? Or if He prodded our heart to pray with a person in the other aisle in Walmart? Are we like the catepillar and become so distraught with how things look at the moment that we don't trust that He won't leave us a catepillar. You haven't reached your full potential. God won't leave you where you are if you are acting in full obedience to His word.

Let me translate that scripture into the MCWversion:

“even though they knew God, they weren't aware of Him in everything. They lived an unfinished life; thus encountering God only at certain times rather than in everything; and their mindset became stagnant, without growth, stunted and unfruitful”

When we limit God to an encounter in morning quiet time or a weekly worship service, we miss all that He has to say and wants to do in and through us throughout the day. Thus, we are walking around living an unfinished life.

Recently a friend and I were discussing how we feel like we are so busy that every time we have time with the Lord we are just delivering a laundry list. You know what I think? I need to SHUT UP sometimes.

God doesn't live in your morning quiet times. God doesn't live in a church a building. He lives in you and in me.

If the catepillar would have thought God only lived in a certain time 

or certain circumstance or certain moment then

 he never would have held on to see the transformation

 that God did in HIS OWN time.

The Parable of Captain America

Was anyone else weirded out by Captain America's tiny-little-scrawny-body before he was transformed? Oh you weren't? Oh yeah me neither...


so yesterday afternoon I watched the latest Avengers film (isn't it the latest one? oh i don't know!) and I was really struck by the character of Dr Abraham Erskine. A couple of things he said hit me and caused me to make a connection with some spiritual principles that I will come back to after a short anecdote...


Yesterday morning after worship rehearsal, I propped up my barefeet in the sanctuary and proceeded to play words with friends until our pre-service-meeting began. Within a few minutes two of the Pastors had decided they didn't want name tags on each chair on this particular Sunday and asked if I'd help remove them from the BAJILLION seats in the auditorium. I happily helped because not only was it a simple task, but these two Pastors were right in the thicke of the actions helping. As we were removing the said name tags, I noticed an elder come into the sanctuary. He took note of the rather large task we were tackling and instead of helping, chose to stand in the aisle and read his bulletin.


I'm not going to lie, I gave this man the stink eye.


I'm not sure why, but this really struck a chord in me that he was a man with a position/title/responsibility and yet even when noticing what we were all doing (even Pastors!), didn't automatically jump in or even offer his help.

Back to Captain America... the soon to be super hero asked Dr Erskine, 'why me?' and Dr Erskine explained that the power of the serum was that the good inside a person would be magnified into greatness and the bad in a person would turn into the worst. 


This made me think about leadership. When we are given a role of leadership, the humility and servanthood inside us will become greatness and the entitlement within us will also be magnified. I'm not angry with that elder, I just found it interesting his choice to not jump in and help when he saw the magnitude of the task. 


My mom has said that it may be your charisma that gets you into a position but it is your character that keeps you there.

"Whatever happens, 

stay who you are.

 Not just a soldier,

 but a good man."

(Dr Erskine, Captain America)

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. 

Man looks at the outward appearance, 

but the Lord looks at the heart"

(1 Samuel 16:7)

the parable of the lemonade stand

This past Sunday, Pastor Craig told a story of running a lemonade stand when he was growing up. And guess what? My sister and I had one too! In fact, we were very ambitious-minded-little-girls because we also had our own personal "yard sale" in addition to coming up with the latest snack ("GORP") and offering samples in bathroom cups door to door. 


There is only one problem, we didn't live in a busy subdivision or even a busy street; we lived on a cul de sac.

A cul-de-sac (literally "bottom of bag" in Catalan) is a word of Catalan

 origin coming to the English via French referring to a dead end, close, 

no through road (British English) or court (American,Canadian and Australian English)

meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet. 

While historically built for other reasons, one of its modern uses is to calm vehicle traffic.

In thinking about our business venture as little girls, the Lord took a moment to speak to my heart.

Many times we have amazing

gifts

abilities

ideas

dreams

visions

but if we aren't in the best position, they won't reach full potential or maximize effect.

If i'm not walking in full obedience in every area of my life;

if my ear is not pressed against the heartbeat of the Father,

I will easily get frustrated that my gifts, abilities, ideas aren't reaching their full potential.

The lemonade stand was a GREAT idea, but the location LIMITED it's effectiveness.

Ruth knew the need (food) so she began to serve (her mother in law) by going to where she knew was food (a rich man's field) and picking up what was leftover. She was in position to not only exceed her familys' need but also to meet her husband.

Where's your lemonade stand?