Loved & Effective

I want to share a story with you today.  But it's bigger than that.  It's for everyone.  Too often I can be inattentive to the holy in life.  I'm hoping this story is a moment of listening, of breakthrough.  You get to decide.  Here it is:

I was running into the sanctuary to put my microphone back where it belongs, on Monday of this week.  (FYI I'm a pastor and Monday is clean-up-from-Sunday day.) I was literally running, I was in that kind of hurry.

When I got half way across the front of the church, up by the pulpit, I heard words, "sit down on the steps;"    I would call it God speaking, but I can work with me thinking to myself, or maybe you could say "I had a sense of", you pick the language comfortable for you, but I had a clear sense of the direction, "sit down on the steps."

I sometimes have thoughts out of the blue. When that happens I pause, think about them, and my mind spins off in a hundred directions trying to make sense of it all.  I dismiss the chaos. I move on figuring it to be my own thoughts. On Monday my brain just landed on the words, "sit down on the steps." No spinning. No extra stuff.

So there in the sanctuary I sat down on the top cold stone step of an empty church in a dimly-lit, sanctuary. and I said "now what?" (I not sure, but I may have even said it out loud.)

What followed were more words, "tell the people two things:"  (Remember  I'd say it was God speaking, but I understand if you're more comfortable with other language, like me thinking to myself, or maybe saying "I had a sense of", you pick the language comfortable for you.  I hope you're getting the drill by now.)  Those two things were clearly:

         1.  "I love you"   and

     2.  "You can make the difference."  

Sitting still, curious, and bewildered I looked up.  (I don't know why, but my eyes had been on the steps to this point.)  Now, no words came, rather a clear sense of the room feeling full of life and an exciting presence of audacious, life-changing love that  I can only express as God.  Maybe you have another word, but it's the kind of feeling I get working with a community of people to change the world, only to find myself changed.

I needed these affirming words on Monday.   I don't know if you need their invitation or encouragement today.  They are here for you if you do.  

One thing is clear to me.  I want to make sure you hear those two inviting affirmations from God. God loves you and intends to use you to make the difference.  Pass it on. 

10,000 Joys in Christ

Dave