This Crazy Family

This past July (2008) our congregation began using a new bulletin format to go along with our newly renovated auditorium. The back of the bulletin is now a space designated for different members to share their thoughts and experiences with the rest of the congregation. The following is an article I wrote for the Jan 25, 2009 bulletin for the Hillcrest Church of Christ in Abilene, TX:

While growing up “family” was an eclectic word. I have always described my family as “crazy.” I have four older sisters, two of whom are adopted. My parents divorced when I was three and remarried when I was four. I now have four older sisters, three step-sisters, two step-brothers, a step-mom and step-dad. My friends tease me because my family tree is so large and tangled. It was definitely an experience!

You may think I regret my childhood, but you couldn’t be more wrong. I was a happy kid! I had a blast with such a large family and love the wild memories that only a large family could create! Yes, I wish my parents did not have a divorce, but my siblings stuck together and found new ways to create familial unity.

When we look at our family in Christ we too easily show the shiny, flawless sides of ourselves and hide the cracks that each of us bear. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul writes “… you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part.” He doesn’t say, the best of each of you is a part, but all of you – even the broken pieces!

The void left by my dad’s passing is irreplaceable, but I learned a lot about being a member of the Christian family from several of my brothers and sisters who have been there to pick up my broken pieces. The following is a message of love from a sister in Christ, written one month ago:

My dearest friend Evan, I have been thinking a lot over the last six months. I used to hear people say I love them like a brother and I didn't really understand what that meant. But when your dad died I cried all day long knowing that you were in pain. In fact, I am crying right now thinking still of how hurt you must be and how you must miss him. I came to realize that I do know what it means to love someone like a brother. I love you like a brother. You are truly a cherished friend.

Sharon

Please take time today and think of people in your life who have truly been family to you. At times, we overlook one another’s kind acts too easily. My family is “crazy” and difficult to describe. I thank my faith family for being crazy enough to love all of the broken pieces – remember that’s all of us!

I want to challenge you who read this and ask you to call, email, text (however you communicate best) and thank your "Sharon"s for being 'crazy' for treating you like family ... and how grateful you are!

Blown Away!

Since I am from West Texas, one may read this and think that the wind has finally blown hard enough to send me away, but I am simply using it as an expression. Although, the wind has been pretty ferocious lately!

The few weeks just before Christmas our youth group grew through a three lesson series focused on worshiping God with all of our talents and glorifying Him in all situations with all that we've got. During this series we watched the video that is posted just below this paragraph. We challenged the students and asked them to come up with a plan that we could worship God with what we have AND help our brothers and sisters in this world (since we are all children of God). They decided to save money for three months and then collect the money that they saved to put toward a fresh water well in one of our mission locations in the world: Mumena, Africa. We did some research and learned that it would cost about $1200 to drill a fresh water well. Tonight was the third of the "collection" nights for the well. Our youth group saved $842 and a quart size bag full of quarters!!!! I am seriously moved and completely overwhelmed. I'm so impressed with this generation, in general, and specifically the 100+ teenagers that make up our youth group. Several students came to me after class and said that they didn't save money but that they have decided to and want me to keep them accountable to that commitment. And what's more is that a leadership group (made of about 30-40 students who volunteer their time after class) has decided to save money at the beginning of each month to give regularly to different causes (local and abroad)! CAN WE SAY PRAISE GOD!?

My lesson tonight in class had this premise: every decision we make, as Christians, should be Christ centered. I had lunch with a friend (Jon Mills) today and during our conversation he brought up the old reliable "B's" from our childhood within the Church of Christ community: Believe, Behave, & Belong. And these B's were taught in this order: we believe in Christ, we behave by his teachings, and we belong to our Christian community. We discussed how Christ has a different order of those B's ... take the woman who committed adultery in John 8. He didn't ask her to tell everyone in the crowd that she believed he was the Christ in order to earn her belonging within the group, he allowed her to belong through his actions when he proved that she was like everyone else: a sinner. His order of the B's is as follows: allow to BELONG, BELIEVE due to the difference made by belonging, and BEHAVE because of your changed life. We could use Jesus and the leper, Jesus and a blind man, Jesus and Lazarus, etc... the examples are plenty and the point remains the same: people belonged before they were asked to change their behavior. You may remember the last thing Jesus said to the woman in John 8: "Go and sin no more." Behavior was the last thing he asked of her. I, also, relayed a story from my cousin Trey's blog (treymorgan.net) entitled, "You're a member of the Church of Christ? Aren't you the ones that..." In this personal story, Trey recalls several frightening descriptions and accusations of the Church of Christ ... and if you are a member of the Church of Christ, you know many on the list. His story, however, ends with a lady who says, "Hey! you go to the Church of Christ? Aren't you the ones who are helping people in the community?!" What an awesome question to be asked! So I asked our students to fill in the blank: "Aren't you the church who ... " To that one of our adults in the classroom responded, "When I go to Mumena this summer and visit the village who receives your well I will ask them to finish that statement. I bet you they will say, 'Aren't you the ones who saved my children because you gave us fresh water?'" Again, PRAISE GOD! Trey concluded the aforementioned article by quoting Acts 10:38, "Jesus went around doing good things..." I want to finish that verse, "...because God was with him." I agree with Trey: I like the idea of a church who goes around doing good things and we do this because God is with us and should be the center of everything we do.

I am blown away by our students and I praise God for their parents. I praise God for the support they give one another. And I praise God for caring about all of us on Earth so that He gave us the primary example of how to live our lives! Finally, I praise God for continually blowing me away with His goodness. I'm happy that I get to be part of His grand story.

Mrs Brown and Mrs Newton

Earlier this week I was on a training run and had just finished pushing up the end of a series of hills on my 5 K route. It was 80+ degrees and the first time I had run in several days due to our trip to the UK; I was tired and very sweaty. I had sweat in my eyes and was struggling reading the time recorded on my watch so I kept rubbing my eyes. As I was running up this final ascent I noticed something: I saw two very elderly ladies attempting to lift a small love seat into the back of an SUV. I was so focused on the run that I nearly missed the scenario altogether until I saw them out of the corner of my eye as I was passing by (and the sweat in my eyes didn't help!). Though I was out of breath I said, "Wait! Let me help you with that." Both of them broke their concentration for a moment and looked across the road as I trotted near them. In unison, their faces lit up and thanked me immensely. As I was lifting the piece of furniture, Mrs Brown introduced herself and her sister, Mrs Newton. Mrs Brown informed me that she lived in the house behind her for the past thirty-three years and her children moved her to Royal Estates Assisted Living Home this past weekend. I smiled gently and asked her how she liked the new place (mind you, I was gassed and sweating immensely - still out of breath). She said it was nice and I told her I was happy for her new lifestyle and we joked about how she could "be a kid" again since someone else was responsible. She and her sister then insisted upon me that I take monetary payment for the help I gave them since they "didn't know how they would have gotten that piece of furniture in the car anyway." Mrs Brown added, "I told Mrs Newton that if a guy came running by (I didn't know you'd be literally running!) and offered to help I'd pay him good money." I thanked them for their generous thought and refused the offer by explaining that Jacinda and I are thankful to be very well taken care of with our full-time salaries. We talked a little bit about the food in Mrs Brown's new living facilities and how it would take a little time for her to appreciate the transition, but she was thankful to have children who could afford for her to be cared for in such a way. Then, as I turned to complete my run, she said something fairly simple, "Thank you for stopping to help us two old ladies!" I said, "Of course!" and continued my run. It wasn't until I turned the corner that I realized that I saw about four or five cars pass Mrs Brown and Mrs Newton and they struggled with the love seat. And that I nearly ran right by them because I had sweat in my eye. It hit me: I nearly missed the opportunity to serve someone by doing a simple task (for me) because I had something in my eye. I wonder how many other opportunities I've missed because something was in my eye, but only that it wasn't sweat. The truth is I miss opportunities to serve the people around me because I focus, too often, on myself. I owe thanks to Mrs Brown and Mrs Newton for rmeinding me the importance of looking outside of myself and for the needs of others.