Language

Ever wanted to learn a second language? I bet most of you have. And even though I took Spanish in high school, most of what I learned has evaporated to the four winds over the years (sorry Ms. Hein, I know you did your best).

But being on a Hispanic Outreach every Saturday, well, it kind of helps to know the language, you know? So that’s why a couple of us on the team are taking a Spanish class over the next six weeks.

And what’s funny is when we first talked about signing up we were all excited and said how much fun it would be. Now, when we get to class I feel a little bit like I’m back in high school and hope I don’t mess up my pronunciation, forget an important word within the phrase and hope I can just kind of “get it”. Although I am pleased to report that we all know the most important phrase of all, “Donde esta el baño?”.

And while going through the class and having Dr. Bonilla (oh, did I mention we’re being taught by a former NASA engineer?) it’s interesting how he patiently walks us through every...single...step...of...it. Keeps telling us to take it slow, not go too fast. Not do too much. Just keep at it, keep practicing and even if we only learn five phrases by the end of the class, that’s five more than we knew before.

Something I’m taking away from the class other than learning a foreign tongue is it strikes me that God works much the same way. He has his own language and whenever we start our relationship with Him some of it, maybe all of it, is hard for us to comprehend. It’s completely new, maybe even strange.

Because He may speak more differently than any other language you’ve heard before. Some of you may only have felt real love and encouragement from one of your parents, but not both. While others have never had a real loving, nurturing relationship in your life. Some have a past that leaves you with guilt and regret. While others have been rejected again and again. And that’s where it becomes strange, because the language of God says you’re loved more than you can imagine, forgiven of every single thing you’ve done wrong and are cherished more than any of His other creations.

Wow, even as a veteran follower of Christ, it’s still hard to comprehend how deep and vast God’s love is for me. For you. For every person we come in contact with. After all, it’s a language like no other. The language of God – Love. Grace. Healing. Mercy. Forgiveness. Acceptance. Joy. And on and on. In that we can all rejoice.

But as with any language, you need to not just comprehend it, but to speak it as well. Practice speaking it to yourself first. Then friends and family. Then to others. After awhile you get better and better and more fluent.

And with God’s love language, it’s no different. Speak to yourself first with love, grace and mercy. Then to friends and family. Encourage them through their struggles and pain. Forgive them for being human and making mistakes. Accept those who are different than you (that one’s tough, I know, but we have to do it). And then speak it to a total stranger.

So here’s my challenge for you this week, actually it’s two. Jot down the phrases, thoughts or ideas God is speaking into your life right now. Is it trust? Faith? Forgiveness? Grace? Patience? Whether it’s through nudges, the Holy Spirit speaking to you or circumstances, try to recognize them and then spend a little time hearing what He’s telling you.

Secondly, put His love language in action in a couple people in your life. Your spouse. A co-worker. A client. A neighbor. Someone who simply needs something positive to happen in their life. Doesn’t have to be rocket science, just practical and honest.

And keep at it until you become more and more fluent in the greatest language of all – the language of God.

Cookout

Let’s kick summer off right. Let’s talk about a cookout.

But, nay, not just an ordinary cookout. A true feast. A banquet. With giant smoked turkey legs and everything. And here’s the good news, you’re part of it right now, even as we speak. So grab a Chinette plate, your plastic fork and enjoy.

To set the scene, let’s take a look at Luke 14: 15-24, the Parable of the Great Banquet.

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “

“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

“ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ “

“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ “

Ah, now that’s a cookout, isn’t it? Invite everyone and anyone, no matter who they are, except those who told the master (in not-so-many words) “Sorry...I’m kind of busy.”

Which is precisely what I’m getting at. Because you are taking part in that very feast right now. You haven’t told God you’re “too busy” or have better things to do. Instead you act like the servant who goes out and finds people to serve. You lead an outreach at church. You care for an ailing family member. You pay for a stranger’s lunch. You....are taking part in this feast. And I don’t want that very key point to pass you by.

Because for a lot of us, we serve with a sense of duty. Because our hearts lead us to unquestionably “go for it”. Or it’s just something you do and don’t think twice about it. But I don’t want you to miss the big point and realize what your acts of grace, kindness, love and charity really are – a place at a Great Banquet being thrown by God Himself.

Sadly, I’ve missed out on that point many times when doing an outreach and don’t ever want that for you. Not anymore. So if this “60” plants a seed in just one person’s brain and they realize that serving is being part of the best cookout ever, then it's done its job.

Tomorrow, instead of trying to make the Hispanic Outreach perfect, I’m going to focus more on Who makes it perfect. Instead of paying for someone else’s order at a fast food joint thinking about my minor sacrifice requiring me to skip the fries, I’m going to just be grateful they get to share the fruits of the feast.

So this summer, enjoy your own “cookouts”. Whether you invite friends for burgers and dogs or serve a stranger so they may know about God’s bounty.

But never – never – miss that one simple fact. That we all get to enjoy a place at the table of God’s feast.

Shoes

So after Outreach last weekend my friend Fran and I were talking about some LA La Viña stuff and “So how’s your life?” stuff in the VCC Atrium when a guy that volunteers their started talking to us. The first thing I noticed about him was that he was wearing one slipper and one worn sneaker. As he talked to us and asked how Outreach went, my curiosity got the best of me and I bluntly asked, “Dude, what’s the deal with the slipper?”

He told us he’d had a fire in his apartment and the sneakers he was wearing were all he had. But someone had found one orphan slipper so he had “one good shoe...one not so good”. And it didn’t really bother him, this whole mismatching of the shoes. In fact he seemed more grateful for the nice slipper than worried about the worn shoe. I say worn, but I should say “shot”, a flip flop would have been more foot protection.

When he told me what size shoe he wore, I told him to hang out a minute. Because, wouldn’t you know it? He wore the same size shoe I do and I had a pair of hiking boots in my truck. When I gave them to him, he didn’t really seem to know how to respond. He was happy, sure, but wasn’t sure how to express it. And I knew exactly why.

Because, see, for a lot of us we just get used to dealing with stuff on our own. And just kind of think, “Hey, that’s how it is” and we soldier on, getting through the weeks and the days just “dealing”. For some, it’s carrying the scars of an unpleasant past, for others it’s trying to make it to the next paycheck and for others, well, you know your struggles, you know what I’m trying to get at. And so it goes, we just get through life and “deal”.

Except we don’t. We coexist with it until it numbs our senses and dulls our spirit.

And we need someone to ask us, “Dude, what’s the deal with the slipper?” That’s the first part.

The second part is accepting the gift. And, believe me, not everyone does this. I know I haven’t very well in the past but am getting better (i.e. the super cool Oakley sunglasses my neices and nephew got me for Christmas). My friend wasn’t quite sure how to respond to a simple gift of hiking boots and that’s ok, at least he accepted them. Not just when I handed them to him, but when I saw him wearing them later that day. His life had improved simply because he no longer needed to “deal” with worn out, mismatched shoes anymore, he was moving on in his life and leaving his burden in the trash.

And that’s what I want to talk to you about today. We all “deal” with stuff, just take it on ourselves, try to make the best of it and hope for the best. And that’s not the way God works. God wants a full-on relationship with you, not one where you think something is too small for Him to care about or He’s too busy or has better things to address.

He cares about you. Not just in the emergency, big times. But in the small ones. The minute ones. And especially the ones that drain your spirit, dull your joy and siphon your faith. Now, be sure He will allow struggles and hardships to make you better and draw you closer to him, but even then He wants you to give it to Him. All of it. Good. Bad. Benign. He wants it all from you, so He can give you His all. And real life.

In Matthew 11: 28-30 Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Gentle. Humble. Giving. And wanting to take your burden. Lighten your day. You, at rest.

Sound like something you want in your life?

So here is my challenge for you this week, I want you to think about how you react when people offer you gifts. A Coke. A present. A free dinner. Love and acceptance. Not just how to react to them, but how you react internally. And see if you need to work on your “acceptance skills” a little (I’m getting better at it). Then, I want you to spend some time with God thinking of your own worn out shoes that your dealing with and the “old worn out shoes” you no longer need. And then give them to Him. You don’t need them anymore. They’re worn out and wearing you out. Seriously.

Because just like Saturday, He’ll find a way to get you shoes that are a perfect fit and imporve your walk with Him. With a perfect love that never fails. And a perfect God that wants to take your burdens and make you perfect in His image. Every step along the way.

Have a great week!

Fed

So the church I attend, Vineyard Community Church, has a Thanksgiving tradition where we hand out complete Thanksgiving dinners to those who need it most. For some, this along with our Christmas Eve Donut Outreach are the pinnacle of all the outreaches VCC does throughout the year. And this year was no different. Moreover, as the economy has put a strain on peoples' finances and folks are learning to go without, VCC wanted to make sure no one, not a single person, went without hope in Jesus Christ.

'Cause that's our job, that's what we do.

So this year they set an audactious goal - hand out 1,200 complete turkey dinners. Admist people losing their jobs, people's 401(k) plans tanking, people having to cut back and say "no" and budget like never before, Dave Workman, our senior pastor, stood up on stage and asked people if they could give $20-30 and fill up a box so a family could, yes, have a nice Thanksgiving, but also know about our God. About his love, grace and mercy. And Dave knew that would be a lot to ask of some people, so he wasn't expecting everyone to be able to do it. So Dave asked those folks to pray for the dinners that would go out. See, it's not all about the "stuff", it's the divine appoinments. The light touches. The person who's got nothing who receives far more than a dinner, but a deep sense of who God is.

1,200 dinners though? That's up from 900 last year. And during an economic crisis. Was this really going to happen?

As I drove into the VCC parking lot Saturday morning, I couldn't find a spot. So you know, this is a parking lot that fits 2,000 cars easily and I had to park all the way at The Chapel up the road a bit. I had to walk in the 22° blustery cold all the way into the Atrium. And I couldn't have been happier. Because people didn't just show up, they showed up en force. To see all the people walk out with their boxes, most of them decorated by their kids, some wrapped in paper, others splattered with construction paper hearts and messages of love on them where going out the door to their own divine appointments. Stranger meeting stranger. Now friend helping friend. All to say, "God loves you, and we do too".

In the end 1,200 dinners weren't delivered but 1,500. 1,500. Some people took five and six boxes and sacrificed their own Thanksgiving dinners to make that happen. Dave told the congregation he was pulled aside by one man during the outreach who said, "Last year...you guys gave my family a turkey. This year, we get to be the ones handing out a turkey. And our hope is next year, we can do even more."

Now, I could end the "60" there. With warm and fuzzies and the faint taste of cranberry sauce lingering about your mouth. But there is a deeper story here, one you can carry on with you today, on Thanksgiving and deep into the rest of your life. And it's simply this – God feeds his people.

He feeds us. Always. He finds a way. Sometimes it's with a turkey dinner. Other times it's a kind word from a friend. A line of scripture from the Bible. A paycheck when you most need it. A sense of hope when all seems lost. He feeds us when we find ourselves hungering for more than ourself. Something bigger. Something that really means something.

He feeds us. But we need to be willing to trust. Someone once said, "A hand open to give is also open to receive". And for a lot of us, we're really good about the giving part, it's the receiving we need to embrace and cherish. So this week, my prayer for you is to let God "feed" you. Spend some time with him, let Him lead you to some things He's put on your heart lately. Be open to accepting His love and love of you. And the love others have for you as well.

And if you think of it, let your friends and loved ones know about the turkey outreach. Not how a congregation showed up. Or even how VCC showed up. But that God showed up to fed 1,500 families. And you as well.