2-4-2016

Good Morning All!!   

         Deuteronomy 10:12; “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,”

    A number of years ago I had a very interesting conversation with a friend of mine.  He had a small business in a small town.  He was kind of bemoaning, kind of complaining, kind of laughing and kind of being resigned to the one simple fact of life for him.  He was often called on to help the local high school out.  The posters and signs were always placed in his windows.  He donated to every class in some way shape or form.  But his favorite (?) part was that he would get a handful of students throughout the year who would have to shadow him for a couple of days.  For those of you who do not know, shadowing is where the student observes you as you work.  They are supposed to experience what the job you have is like.

    He had an Ag supply store and it was sort of seasonal in nature.  He did some business in the winter but the spring and summer were his busy times.   January at his store was pretty slow, sometimes he would take the day off or let one of his employees take time off.  Yet one crisp morning, in walked this young man with a note book and a pen in hand.  He was ready to absorb everything he saw and heard.  “I’m ready to go; what do we do now?”  The young man said that five or six times in the first hour but there was nothing to do.  They talked about the local basketball team, the past football season, the coming football season; they talked about everything but not much business.  He tried to find stuff for the kid to do but was out of luck.  By noon, he would send the kid on an errand and then try to hide from him, just to get a moment’s peace.  My friend shook his head and smiled when he talked about it.  “You had to admire his excitement, his willingness; his desire to work and serve; if there would have been something for him to do, it would have been fantastic but he about drove me nuts!”

    Sometimes, confirmands will ask about what they need to do now.  How are they supposed to serve God?  I tell them to try and show God’s love to the world.  I tell them to think, “Does God’s love show when I do this?”  When I hold the door open for someone, when I help one of the younger students put their snow boots on, when I show respect for my teachers, does God’s love show?  If we can honestly answer yes then we are serving God.  The same is true for adults.  It might not always be huge events; oftentimes, it is the smaller personal actions that people remember and celebrate.  Most people savor the simple acts of kindness that we share.  Those are often the times when God’s love shines through and we serve God to our highest level.

Gracious God and Father, lead me to serve you as you direct me.  Give me the strength to follow you and to serve you with all my heart.  Lead me to those whom are in most need of your grace.  Send me to heal.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret