Author: Wick

I knew that I’d be away for over a week with teenagers in San Diego.  I knew my wife would be at home, going about the normal routines of raising 3 very young girls.  Changing diapers, band-aiding boo boos, giving time outs, twisting arms for naptime, etc.  So like any husband, I tried to assuage my guilt, and speak her love language at the same time by ordering a little something special to arrive while I was away.

I ordered it a week or so before leaving for my trip.  It was difficult to contain my excitement.  I knew how much she’d love it, and how much of a surprised it’d be for her.  I didn’t know exactly what hour it would come, but I knew the day, and knew it was highly likely she’d be there when it arrived.

Every day that date drew closer, I got more excited.  I wanted to blurt it out in the middle of conversation.  Here’s how it could have gone:

Wife: So, how did work go today?

Me: I ordered you a gift a few days ago that will arrive while I’m in San Diego and you’re going to love it!!!

Wife:  Aww (gives me a big wet kiss)

But I never told her.  I kept it secret, and as I left for my trip, took my excitement with me.  Even in the midst of crazy times and teenagers spent on the beach in San Diego, I found myself spontaneously struck with the anticipation on her behalf of this gift of love that she’d be surprised by.  It made me smile.

And no, it wasn’t ridiculously expensive.  But it was a gift of Love.

I began to feel God using all of this to speak to my own heart.  As if He was revealing something important about the giddy anticipation He experiences in waiting for all things to be made new, and to complete fully the work He began in Jesus Christ.  Like He knows exactly what is coming, and in that knowing His Joy is a smile wider than the ocean shore.

But He couldn’t wait quietly.  He’s told us about what is to come, so that we can join in the excitement, and the active anticipation.  It brings to mind the image of Homer Simpson, doing his “oh boy oh boy oh boy” dance.  The kind of excitement I felt at knowing what my wife was going to receive, was not even a sliver of the full experience God currently enjoys, knowing the complete picture of what is ahead for us.

We get a peek at some of that, in the words and life of Jesus Christ.   The tears of joy when He and His followers spread the Good News of the Kingdom that is, and is to come.  The tears of pain when he laments there will be some who walk away from what is coming.  The tears of Love for His children, and His creation…that will be made new…

May we join in God’s Joy-filled wait even now…

Tuesday night was one of those hot nights with no breeze indoors, and the eyes were getting just a little bit droopy as we were just getting used to a week with little sleep.  But in the midst of the blanket of snooze that was slowly being laid over us…we heard a great message from Bishop Thomas on community.

He reminded us that Unity is not always positive in and of itself.  Unity has led to some pretty awful things, in fact.  But it can, and offers to be, a great asset, especially in the body of Christ, and the coming Kingdom.  Thomas reminded us of some common myths about “Community”:

1. Community is made of all similar people.  (there is beauty in the diversity found in the whole)

2. Community happens when others love ME.  (everyone is loved, how can I contribute?)

3. Community is destroyed when someone messes up. (there is strength in forgiveness, & restoration)

4. Community happens naturally, without effort. (Genuine community is built and worked at, with the Holy Spirit and the resolve of God’s People.)

5. Community includes hierarchy. (all members are indispensable and valued highly)

He then pointed us to the verses of 1 Corinthians chapter 13, that LOVE is what enables True community.  Binds it all together in perfect Unity.  That definitely puts us in check, if we’ve complained at all recently about the groups we are a part of lacking genuine community.  When is the last time we purposefully involved ourselves in bringing love to where there was none within’ our group?

And not just huggy, warm-fuzzy, smiles and hand shakes kinda love.  But correcting, revealing, Christ-centered, unafraid, all-encompassing, enemy as much as friend….Love.  May we see places to be Love’s presence in our communities this week…knowing that Unity comes as we Love…and allow ourselves to be Loved…

In the evening services of IYC, early in the week we hadn’t figured out to leave all the doors open to invite God’s Southern California breeze through.  So toward the final message, it became a bit stuffy, odoriferous,  and to a teenager running on a few hours of sleep the previous night…..conducive to napping.

So our teens had gone through a few “tricks” to keeping the human body awake and aware.  Pretending to follow a fly with your eyes briefly.  Pinching your leg.  Taking notes.  They had an entire arsenal ready, as Bishop Roller was set to take the stage that night.

It was pretty amazing.  He didn’t jump around on stage.  He doesn’t have a loud booming voice.  The microphone wasn’t turned up crazy high.  There were no flashing lights, pyrotechnics, video illustrations, or puppet shows during his talk.  And yet, every teenager in our group, and leaders included, were fixed on his words.  Edge of our seats, waiting for him to offer out the next sentence of each paragraph.

He was telling a story.  Illustrating how each Bible story is only a pixel of the picture God is painting.

He told a few stories from scripture overall, and gave us the challenge to be telling stories ourselves.  When Jesus was asked a question, often instead of giving the factual answer, or anticipated response, he told a story.  Stories captivate us.  The ask politely for our attention, and draw us in as the plot unfolds.  They paint a picture, often capturing the beauty not just of the information being transferred, but of the God who reveals Truth in creative ways…and calls us to be a part of that creativity ourselves.

Bishop Roller challenged us to find stories from scripture that we love, and develop a love to tell them.  Starting with an achievable number, like one. 🙂  Then 8, then 52, and on.  The more stories we are able to tell from scripture, the more God’s creative and beautiful Truth is revealed.

As we left to discuss the evening as a small group, we also realized that each of us is part of the story God is telling.  That being able to tell our “story” and find God’s active presence within it, should be one of our first goals as we try to decide which stories to work on.

May we be story tellers this week…and beyond..to a world that is ready to listen to a story worth telling….