Little to Offer But Enough for God

My bounds are being stretched in many directions. I am a person of routine. My wife and family laugh (and sometimes grumble) about my routines. I wake the same time every morning, I go through basically the same process. I try to go to bed at approximately the same time each night. Even my weekends have a set check-off list of things to get done around the farm.

God is stretching me though. Yesterday, as I was in my office (within my home); contractors were busy looking at our house to bid on an addition to our family room. Although there is only several of us in the house, we view all of our possessions as not ours but Gods. Lately, we have had an urgency in our hearts to open our farm up to small groups and others that need to get away from the commotion of the urban setting. We feel that the extra space will help to accommodate these groups.

Then last night we had two new friends join us for dinner to talk about the small group ministry at church and expanding it in our area. By the end of the night, we felt led to begin next month!

This morning I was reading about how Jesus fed 5000+ people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. His disciples were wary and wanted to send the people away because they wanted the people to provide for themselves. Jesus though used the time for a lesson of dependence on Him. The people were fed (they actually gorged themselves) and yet twelve baskets of scraps were left over.

My routines are being challenged as God instructs me to expand my horizons for His work. I'm hesitant but after reading this story, I will allow God to work through me just like He worked through the bread and the fish. I have little to offer God, but I lay at His feet all that I have. He will provide the rest.

5 C's That Can Change the World (One is CONNECT)

In church last night the 5 C's came up yet again. These 5 C's are being continually brought up because Jesus was the perfect model to change the world around us. His model can be condensed to 5 C's. They are:

1. Commit - to be a growing follower of Jesus.
2. Celebrate - and live the fulfilling lifestyle.
3. Connect - to others in personal vibrant relationships
4. Communicate - the good news to everyone everywhere
5. Contribute - your time, passion, talents and possessions

I didn't like it at first when these were mentioned. Not sure why but I guess that it was probably conviction on my part. I was convicted that one of these C's was something that I didn't do and really didn't care to do.

Connect.... my bride of 26 years and I are relatively quiet people. Oh, we're pleasant around others but we enjoy each others company and are just ... well, satisfied with that. Oh yeah, I connect to my little family just fine. My two daughters, my son (in-law... whatever that means) and my daughter's boyfriend all 'connect' just fine. But this is going beyond immediate family and now I'm getting out of my comfort zone.

Throughout each day that Jesus walked this earth, he showed us the way to have vibrant and meaningful relationships. He had twelve others that followed Him and communed with Him. We catch very brief exchanges between this group in the Bible but I have often thought of what the everyday conversation sounded like. Imagine the laughter and the serious discussion times in your mind. I often have done just that. How was this connected community cultivated?

I would imagine that on top of the list would be transparency with all except Judas who obviously was not totally transparent. Lots of fellowship would have taken place, eating and just plain having fun together. They worshiped together and you know, even just wasted time together.

Do you remember some of the close friends that you had in middle (junior) high or high school? Do you remember the calls that you made to them? Could they have gone something like mine did? "Hey, Lawrence... what 'cha doin'?" "Just sitting... nothing much. How about you?" "Not a thing here. Just watching paint dry."

Why do we remember those relationships so much? BECAUSE THEY WERE MEANINGFUL IN OUR LIVES! My high school buddy Lawrence knew all about me. We went through good times and bad times together... ups and downs and we were always there for each other. That is what 'Connect' is all about.

If your church works at connecting people to each other in small groups or cell groups, please consider taking advantage of this. God did not place us here on this earth to tackle life all on our own. I'm still learning this but it is starting to sink in and I look forward to the day that I can call one or two guys on a fairly regular basis and say "Hey, what 'cha doin?" only to hear them say "Nothing... how about you?"

Blessings!