Go the Extra Mile! (chapters 7 &8)

Chapter 7: "Wash One Another's Feet"

I have to admit, I'm already having a difficult time trying to compose my thoughts on this chapter. When I read the title I thought, "Lord, Puh-LEEZE help me get through this! You know I don't even like feet!" Now, I knew it wasn't going to be a literal take on the chapter's title, so the fact that I already thought in the negative caused me to pause. What's the big deal? Why did I automatically assume this was going to be something I didn't need - no, WANT - to do?!

When the author says, "Sometimes God asks us to serve in an assignment that is way outside our comfort zone or area of giftedness. He may do this to stretch our faith or to teach us a valuable lesson." This spoke to me. This year I've been serving in Kids' Life. As Michelle T. will tell you, this "service" has been pretty difficult for me. I like kids, I have a kid - how friggin' hard can this be? Hard, let me tell you. And each time my Sunday came 'round, I felt like calling in sick. I believe the Lord asked me to serve in Kids' Life to teach me the lesson of selflessness. See, in every other church I've belonged to I've always been involved in the music ministry. Always. That's what I do; I'm a singer. It's easy for me to get up in front of people, open my pipes, and blow. This time, however, it was different. God made joining the Music Ministry more challenging and, instead, called me to do something completely NOT easy or comfortable for me. So, on the Sundays I serve the wonderful children of OLF (and I believe my service is to the children more than their parents), my prayer each time is that I see the face of Christ in every child, and that they see the Christ in me. My prayer is to be as loving, gentle, and generous of spirit as He is. In listening to God's will and accepting this service, I've grown and have come to see outside myself and what makes me feel good, to being accutely aware of the needs, wants, and desires of all the beautiful children in my class. By listening to God, I've been immensely blessed to hold some amazing little babies.


Chapter 8: "Walk With Integrity"

Last night when I was talking to Kori, we both remarked that this book really has nothing new to offer. "Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry, Worship, Evangelism" - all are components of Christianity that new Christians learn, and "seasoned" Christians take for granted.... and herein lies the rub. We "seasoned" Christians take for granted the elements involved in streghthening our relationship with Christ and forget that we need to practice them as much as anyone else. This chapter revealed this to me by smackin' me upside the head!

I know all about integrity - doing the right thing, at the right time, the right way. Let's go back to the previous chapter's blog when I talked about always being in some kind of music ministry. This current chapter forced me to ask "why?" Why did I always do the music ministry instead of outreach or youth ministry or administrative services? It's then that I realized it was because that's what I wanted to do. I never asked the Lord where I should serve; I just did what I wanted to do. I like to sing - not for the attention, mind you - but just because I simply love to sing. In all these years of music ministry, my reason for praise got lost in my need to just hear myself - does anyone know what I'm talkin' about out there?! I did what I wanted to do and called it "God's will"! Talk about a 'God Complex'!! My integrity was compromised as soon as I assumed God's will was the same as mine, instead praying "Thy will be done."

So now, I'm grateful for the reality check of this chapter. Thankful for the smack upside the head that's caused me to look at my behaviors and motives, and has convicted me to be full of integrity instead of just full of it.