Tag: serving (Page 2 of 2)

A Conversation about Flour and Oil

September 26, 2012 /

Monday I wrote about how God has used the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarepath to teach me.  Did it sound like a piece of cake?

Not so much.

Here’s an honest conversation I had with the Lord recently.

Me: Lord, I’m ticked…really disappointed and discouraged.  I kind of want to throw my handful of flour back in your face and call it a day.

Honestly, Lord??  What I REALLY want is for You to take my flour and oil and make a ginormous fancy-shmancy cake worthy of the Cake Boss, that people will “ooh” and “aahh” over.

But instead it seems like my flour and oil concoction usually turns out looking more like an ordinary, boring tortilla.

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How Fluent are You?

January 11, 2012 /

I like to say I’m multi-lingual.  I don’t speak Chinese, or even Spanish, but when it comes to love languages I’m fluent.  Or at least “fluid” as my husband would say.  And even then I’m afraid it’s often a one-sided conversation.

You know the  5 love language idea that Gary Chapman popularized… How each of us have a primary way we feel most loved – through words of affirmation, receiving gifts, quality time, physical touch, or acts of service.  These are ways we express and interpret love.

The thing is I love them all.  I’m not picky.  I love receiving love in ALL these ways!

I came home the other day and my husband John had taken down both Christmas trees and TOTALLY cleaned out and reorganized our storage room.  I thought, “Boy, do I have an ear attuned to the love language of service!”  Best Christmas present EVER!!

I SO wish I had a “before” picture so you could appreciate the enormity of this gift!

It got me to thinking though…You know how when you know a little of a foreign language it’s easier to understand what people are saying than it is to actually speak the language?  That’s kind of how I feel.  I have a lot more receptive language than expressive language.

How does anyone become more fluent in a foreign language?  Practice, and spending time with those who speak it well, right?

What would happen if we practiced speaking the love language of those closest to us today?  What if we paid more attention to the people around us who speak “love” most fluently and learned from them?  Like learning in “Love Immersion School”.

How do you like to be loved?  What love language are you trying to become more fluent in speaking?  I’m going to try to work on the love language of service today.

God of Inconvenience

November 21, 2011 /

Don’t you just hate it when God shows up and inconveniences you?

Yesterday I gave out my last McDonald’s gift card to a homeless person begging at a traffic light.  I’ve wrestled with this before.  (That’s not the inconvenient part)

As I gave out my last card and asked the man his name I thought, “Wow, it seems like there are more homeless people than ever.  Lord, what else can be done?  Better go get some more gift cards.”

And then I opened my email (this is the inconvenient part).  In the past I’ve volunteered at an event called Project Homeless Connect. It’s a one-stop shop for delivering services to people experiencing homelessness.  They gather housing providers, employment specialists, doctors, nurses, mental health care providers, optomitrists, barbers, people providing transportation assistance, food and clothing…  All under one roof.  The Minneapolis convention center.  And then they round up all the homeless people they can find and bring them in for a day of receiving, being cared for, getting assistance…

So I get this email.  They need more volunteers for December 12th.

Here’s the deal.  I asked.  God answered.  I don’t want to do it.  Not only is it a hassle, but I have something else planned that day that I was looking forward to and can’t be moved.  But… There’s a need.  There’s an invitation.  There’s an answer from God to the question I asked.  

You ever encounter situations like this?  We say we want to change the world.  God gives an opening.  But it’s…inconvenient.  Uncomfortable.  Doesn’t fit with our plans for the day.  It made me think of this powerful video made by my friends John Hoel and Max Fitzgerald.

So we have to decide.  Are we fools to think we can change the world or is it just too inconvenient?  What do you think?

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