Don't Worry, Be Light!

In a little over an hour I'm headed up to the high school to help with a special event. The school is hosting a Fall Kick-off event for all students and their families involved in fall sports. They needed volunteers to come up for a few hours to cook and prepare food for the evening. I like to be able to jump at those opportunities. In fact, I love to be available, if at all possible, any chance I get to help out and be visible in our surrounding communities.

Tomorrow I will be up here at the building around noon to help with another activity. Some of our ladies had a wonderful idea to partner with the Greyhound Family Resource Center and host about 15 students here at the church. Some of us are going with these students to help them find new clothes and shoes for school. Others will be available when they return to feed them lunch and play some games with them. I'm already looking forward to the couple of hours I will spend with everyone.

I tell you about these two opportunities, not to try to make me look special or significant, because I'm not. I tell you about them because these are the types of things we all need to be involved in as much as possible. People all around us in our communities need to see people who live out the story of Jesus in their lives on a daily basis. It's easy to get caught up in our own things and our own life schedules, so because of that we must be intentional about finding ways to be involved in the lives of others. If we aren't intentional, life can so quickly become only about us. I know that's not what we want. Sure, there are a lot of things we do regularly that are important and good. But we must ask ourselves how much of our time and energy are we spending to bless the lives of people that are not named "me, myself, and I." I know sometimes it is not easy...not practical...not always logical...maybe not even realistic. But Jesus came to introduce the world to a new reality, to a new way of living in the world. It was one that often seemed like foolishness to so many others.

If we want to be a "church without walls," we have to first be a church who is all about loving and living for God and others...before and above self! It's radical, I know. But it can start small if we just open our eyes to opportunities like these. Because when we say yes, we have the chance to be present to people who may really need to see God living in us...who may really need to meet God's love afresh through us.

I might just be flipping burgers. I might just be taking my place in a serving line. I might just be playing games with kids. OR...I might just be taking advantage of a God-moment to be a little light in the dark places of someone's broken life. It can be simple. I just have to make myself available to be used by God whenever and however he can. And I believe He will! Do you?

So for a change, be challenged not to worry about your own life, and step out toward some opportunities to shine bright that others might see the LIGHT living in you, and in turn encounter our Father in heaven!

Don't Worry, Be Light!

--Mike