Serving and Loving it

Have you ever walked into a restaurant and waited at the podium to be seated only to not be noticed? When you finally get someone’s attention, they make you feel as if you are an inconvenience for them?   To top that off you have to flag someone down just to get a glass of water. What do you do when you encounter such poor service?

We had an experience like that not too far from where we live. It took forever to get seated. They ignored us for some time until I asked for our waitress. It seemed like we were bothering her just to give her our order. Next, after waiting for twenty-five minutes with no food, we got up, found the manager and advised her of the situation, and left.  

To this day, Lynnette and I comment about that restaurant every time we drive past. People feel more at home when in finding themselves in a strange setting have friendly service. A few years ago, we visited a church at Easter with my daughter and grand-daughters.

 First, the sign on the front of the church said the services started at 10:45 a.m. We were walking into the church about five minutes early, but heard singing in the main worship area. An usher was guarding the door and so I asked when the services had started. He noted that they had started at 10:30. I said but your sign in front says 10:45. He laughed and said,  ”I guess we need to change that someday.” The church was filled for the Easter service and so I asked the usher where we should sit. He stuck his head inside the worship area and said to us, “just anywhere you can find a place”.

We were strangers to the setting, but I pushed my way down the aisle only to get looks from people who were sitting on the outside of the aisle and would not move in for us. Finally, all six of us had to climb over several people just to get inside.

Since the worship leader was singing gospel songs that I knew, I quickly began singing along. What I did not know was in that church the leader is the only one to sing the verses and the congregation sings the chorus. Not knowing the rules and guidelines, I began to sing away. You should have seen the looks that I got from people in front of me.

That ended my worship experience for the morning.

Have you ever had similar experiences? Have you ever wondered what visitors may think when they arrive at church? Are they being served and do they feel comfortable? Think about the poor restaurant service or the seemingly unfriendly church.

In Ephesians 5, we are called to “Watch what God does and then do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents” (The Message). Christ came to serve. As the church grows we must learn to serve more. A wise pastor advised us that we need to give our lives away every day. If we are to be imitators of Christ, then we need to start at home, at work, at school, and at church.

Happiness comes in service to others because it takes the focus off our own issues and problems. If you’re looking for happiness in your church home, try giving your life away in service to the Lord and others.

Funny, but it took five years and a new electric sign for that church to change the sign for the starting time of worship. Why don’t look at your church as a first time guest and see where you personally can improve and serve.

Life's Storms

Luke 8: 22-24 “One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up, shouting, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm all around.”

It was an early morning flight that would normally be uneventful, but today was different. As ten of us boarded the thirty seat propeller driven airplane, the flight attendant asked if we would all sit in the back portion of the plane to balance the load.

Once I settled into a seat, I tried to close my eyes as the smell of fuel and the sound from the start of the engines filtered through the compartment. I glanced at my watch and thought, “Wow, we are getting an early start.”

As we climbed up to 15,000 feet then leveled off, I tried to catch a few moments of sleep. Suddenly, the plane began to bounce and drastically move side to side. As I looked out of the window in the early twilight hours, I could see before us an approaching thunderhead cloud.

Immediately, I remembered that in my morning quiet time with the Lord I had forgotten one thing. “Lord, forgive me of the things I’ve done wrong.” The more we bounced around the more I became sincere in making sure that I had everything covered and was at peace with the Lord. What seemed like hours later (but was only minutes), the plane rose above the clouds and all became stable.

Now out my window I could see the sun rising and the soft billowy clouds below the plane. All was at peace at 17,000 feet above the earth. In our lives we often live each day and forget to talk to the Lord about either trivia or important issues that could impact our lives.

It is not until a storm in life starts to bounce us around that we remember to petition Him for help. The Lord does not always lift us out of the storm, but does give us a peace that He is in charge of all things.

As we go through life we come to expect bounces and unstable times, and we pray that we can find a way around the storm. The reality is that sometimes we must just go through the storm. We are not always protected from the storms but we can know that our relationship with the Lord can bring us peace.

When you have friends going through rough times try not to give them a pat answer like, “Just turn to God”, because they knew that answer before they talked to you. Instead, just love them where they are at that moment and pray for them to get that peace.

The reality of life is that I have peace in my soul while going through the rough weather of life, but on this plane flight it was not until the plane was taxiing into the gate that my blood pressure went back to normal.

The Lord is still working on me for total piece and understanding in all situations as I sometimes get anxious about life situation, an unfinished work of the Lord’s art.