Filed under: Daily Living, Faith, Family, Friends, God, Life Happens, Prayer, Relationships, Religion, Senior Citizens, health | Tags: cancer
I recently learned that a long-time friend of my parents, and a lady I love very much, has stage 4 cancer. She is currently undergoing intense chemotherapy. It has been quite a while since I have seen her and she has been on my heart for several months. I have wanted to call her or take some time to go see her when I went home to visit my folks but I just haven’t. I sucked hearing this news all the more because of this.
I called her yesterday and if you didn’t already know she has cancer you wouldn’t know by hearing her talk. She was in the same high spirits I remember her being in every time I saw her. I was thankful for that because I tend to turn into a rubbery, slobbering mess when I am met with these kinds of situations. She said she was going to do her due diligence and she would let God do His if He saw fit to keep her here for a little while longer.
I admire her strength and faith. She said she appreciated it so much that I called her and that I had no idea how much it meant to her. I told her I was praying for her and I loved her and I gave her a hard time about the Dallas Cowboys (she’s a fan, I am not). It was almost like old times. I don’t know what my phone call did for her but I know I felt so much better hearing how good she sounded.
It has me thinking: do I have faith like that? Is my attitude that positive? Who else do I need to call?
Who do you need to call?
Filed under: Christianity, Conviction Hurts, Daily Living, Faith, God, Jesus, Legacy Fellowship, Ministry, Motorcycles, Rants, Relationships, Religion | Tags: Harley Davidson
I am part of a club. If you ride a motorcycle you probably already know what I am talking about. We who ride motorcycles have this commonality that brings us together, almost like a family. We enjoy the freedom of being on two wheels. We love the wind in our faces. We love ripping around curves or cruising down country roads. We even kind of revel in the danger of it all. It’s not for everyone and we know that. When we pass a fellow rider on the road we acknowledge the brotherhood by a little wave.
There is one notable exception to this rule: Harley Guy. I am not talking about the guys that ride Harley’s because they are just their type of bike and I am not talking about your typical biker that rides a Harley; I am talking about the guy that rides a Harley as a symbol of status. Harley Guy is the guy that rides his bike wearing a t-shirt that says, “Your Bike Sucks!” Of course, my bike cost half as much, cost one-fifth as much to maintain and will still be running when a Harley is being melted into ball-bearings, but that is beside the point. The point is: Harley Guy just doesn’t wave to non-Harley riders, especially sport-bike riders (the little terrors!). I don’t know why, they just don’t. So I intentionally blow by them on my sport bike, get in front of them and brake really hard, throw some former Harleys…cough…ball-bearings at them and then speed off before they knew what hit them. Okay, so I am joking but I think that must be what they think.
This really reminds me of some Christians out there. I am not referring to Baptists, Lutherans or Protestants specifically, I don’t really even know if you can lump them into a group like Harley Guy. I am just talking about the Christians that look down their noses at Christians that look like…well…me. Many of today’s youth pastors have funny hair, dress like they are making a run to Wal-Mart instead of a job interview and can often be found in flip-flops. (I don’t sport the flip-flops at church but there are a few dudes that go to my church that do but I am glad people that dress like that can actually feel comfortable at church.) Note: this dress code is not limited to youth pastors. I know a children’s pastor that loves the flip-flops and can slum it up with the best of them.
It’s not just the way people dress that causes this reaction from the pious Christian. There are many things that can cause such a reaction. When the offering plate passes by someone and they don’t, or can’t put anything in it there are thoughts all down the isle. I am thankful for the thoughts such as, “I wonder if there is something I can do to help that family.” I am also thankful for the way we at Legacy choose to collect offering and that is by placing a box in the back. We have never passed a bucket and we usually don’t go without.
The people I am referring to are Pharisees. Jesus called them “whitewashed tombs” and I have been that guy. I have found myself thinking how much better I am than someone because I go to church and I tithe. I have found myself thinking I should step on the grimy toes of the dude wearing flip-flops. Then I find myself thinking about Jesus. He was better than anyone and yet He didn’t point out that fact. I don’t know what He tithed but I know He gave. I also bet His toes were fairly grimy from walking in the dirt all the time. I bet He even ate without washing His hands sometimes.
We need to get over ourselves. Just because someone doesn’t look or act like we think they should doesn’t mean they aren’t important to God. Just because someone doesn’t look like a Christian doesn’t mean they aren’t. Jesus didn’t look or act like the king that the Jews were expecting. I don’t want to miss an opportunity to love, witness to, teach, nurture, help or even learn from someone because I have a predisposition as to how someone should look.
And to you Harley Guy: I am going to continue to wave at you and it won’t hurt my feelings when you don’t wave back at me. Those things vibrate like mad so I know if you don’t hold on with both hands you may bounce right off. 
