Taking Time

Romans 5:1-5 New International Version (NIV)

Peace and Hope
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

I receive it by chance and circulates most of the world before returning to me but I receive a daily email from a college friend of mine.  This email is by a man named Coach Jerry Staton who is a football coach in Albia. The emails are sent from Coach Staton to current players and coaches.  The email contains a motivating story, a thought for the day and a couple questions to ponder after reading.  It is a tool that Coach Staton uses to help motivate, encourage and direct the young men on his team.  I am sure he knows that his emails are leaked and head all around the world but I doubt he knows the complete impact these emails have and the extent of their reach.  I have had a few great conversations with my college buddy based on these emails and just as they are intended to do for the young men in high school these emails help motivate, encourage and direct my life.  The other day, Coach Staton reiterated something he had said in a previous email but it stuck with me this time.  Coach Staton says there are three things you can always control no matter the circumstances: 1) Always do what’s right. 2)Always do your best. 3)Always show people you genuinely care.    

Of those three, I wanted to put a lot of effort towards showing people that I genuinely care.  At Van Wall I can get too busy that I do not take the time that I should with the customer to make sure their needs were met.  I can be a socially awkward person with people I am not familiar with so doing this means stepping outside my comfort zone.  I prefer to pick up and drop off machines when the customer is not around because of this.  But, in less than a week I have seen such a benefit from simply taking a couple seconds to show people that they are important.  For example, I had two amazing conversations that started simply because I took a second to show them that I cared about what they were saying.  

First, the conversation that Noel and I had started from chiropractic adjustment and led to him handing me a book that I can keep.  Noel is a devout Catholic who looks at life with the wholistic approach of mind, body and spirit.  What is so incredible about this is that his wife’s chiropractic practice also facilitates this with chiropractic care that focuses much less on adjustment and places more emphasis on a healthy lifestyle and a clear mind.  I don’t usually tell people that I am a pastor because I never know how they might react but I felt like it fit here and by telling Noel that I was a preacher it opened a whole new conversation that led to him handing me a copy of Og Mandino’s book called The Greatest Miracle in the World.  It was a great conversation and connection that happened because I took a minute to care about what he was saying.

Second was my conversation with Rob about preaching.  This conversation started when Rob was talking about his church and I took a moment to look deeper.  He said that the methodist church he belonged to in a rural small town only had about 15 people attending and that his church shared a minister with 2 other churches and it was soon to be 5 small churches sharing one pastor.  Rob often filled the pulpit as a trained lay-leader from the methodist conference serving his area.  We talked about sermon prep and the state of the church.  I was able to brag about my congregation and the young children we have.  He was amazed at our joint choir, youth groups and clothing pantry.  I could tell he was discouraged about the state of his church because the minister would be preaching every other Sunday due to the fact that she will have 5 churches to minister to and they would need someone else to fill the pulpit the other Sundays.  Rob was concerned that he would be asked to fill those Sundays which caused him more anxiety about his sermon preparation.  I then told him about a methodist church and a Christian church that had split a pastor that I knew from my CMEP courses and told him that this could be an option for them since there was also a Christian church in his town.  This really encouraged him and it all happened because I took a minute to care about what he was saying.  

And that leads me here, we so, so badly want our faith to be justified.  We want it proven so we can say, “I told you so!”  We find ourselves waiting for God to provide us with a miracle so we can justify our time and efforts to our religion.  We are willing to alienate, throw away and strike fear into others just so we can be justified.  Just so we can be right.  If we are Christians and are doing what we are called then this is not our calling.  Did Jesus alienate, throw away and strike fear into others as to justify his calling?  Did he do those things in the name of God to prove himself?  We all know the answer to those rhetorical questions.  Absolutely not but yet we don’t care.  We know what Christ did and are followers of his but yet we have a tendency to not follow his example.  You want to be justified?  You want your faith to be proven?  Then follow.  Do as Christ did.  He didn’t alienate, he included.  He didn’t throw away, he picked up.  He didn’t strike fear into others he loved them.  That is following.  That is doing as Christ did.  That is your faith justified.  “Let us glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”  

  In closing, we are so busy.  Life happens so fast.  We signed Cora up for building blocks preschool the other night! Griffin his finishing pre-k and Guthrie is jabbering like you wouldn’t believe and we will be moving next weekend!  You all know how fast it goes, I don’t need to tell you.  I know it goes quickly and I know we are so busy but take time to slow down and show people that you care.  In one week, I was made a better person because I took a moment to care.  I thought I was helping someone else and it turned out they helped me.  These conversations have taken place and given me hope.  Hope does not put us to shame because of God’s love.  Take time to see God’s love justified through you and by you by taking moments to show people you genuinely care about them.  Christ did exactly that by dying on the cross.  Amen.