Many Reasons to Go.

I hadn’t been to the city in a few weeks. At home with back pain I missed time with my friends serving the refugees. The three of us drive them to appointments, acting as interpreter, making calls, runing errands, and filing. Something happens to you when you serve the poor. Peace covers you like a comforter on a cold winter night. It is as if God is saying, “My work is with the lost and forgotten.You are doing my work” The peace lets me know that I am doing what I was meant you to do. At least, this has been my experience.
Many Wednesdays though I find other things I should be doing at home rather than serving. I have my own errands, house to clean, and a book to write. I have valid reason not to go except my friends are going and we will laugh and get lost on city streets and laugh again. We will head into ongoing traffic on one way streets and laugh. We giggle as we make up sign lauguage to interpret for our friends, just hoping it is correct. We laugh at our naivete, our surburban dress and ways on city streets. We are out of place and we find it hilarious. The joy that wells up that can not be duplicated doing anything else.
But Friday I bundled up in warm clothing, packed my lunch and showed up. I sensed God wanted to teach me something and in order to hear Him better I went alone. It is not the safest part of Buffalo but it’s not the worse. I am not sure going alone is wise but I was compelled to go.
I missed taking a family to a doctor’s appointment but I ran a few errands, alone. I was disappointed I couldn’t interact with my foreign friends but I listened to the urging to go. Sometimes in your serving it is all giving and no receiving and sometimes it is not.
Like Friday, on Buffalo City Streets. Our city is not known for movie stars walking its streets. It’s a big deal when a producer films in our area, especially when the producer is Keeanu Reeves. I could not park near the Heap Office due to filming and I wasn’t sure where I was going. I approached a security guard for directions.
“Have you seen him?”
“No, you can’t really see anything.”
At the Heap Office, the clerks echoed the guard’s words.
I didn’t think I was enamored by movie stars until I decided to get try to get a closer look. I walked out of the bank and approached the gates where abot 20-25 people where quietly watching the filming. There he was, just standing across the street quietly talking to another person. He was all Hollywood; tall, tan and hair in perfect place. My stomach did a few flips and I couldn’t stop smiling. What is it with stars that you act like an idiot in their presence?
I wasn’t the only one. The rest of us including the crew where laden down with hats, gloves and heavy parkas. It was in the low 20’s and cold. After they were done shooting, Keeanu started across the street, a woman called out, “Hey Keeanu, I’ll keep you warm.” It wasn’t me but it could have been. I wanted to say something to get his attention but I couldn’t think of anything. He smiled and waved and all of us laughed.
He disappeared into the resturant.
What a treat to see him. A treat I would have missed if I had not gone to the city. There are rewards in serving. Sometimes the reward is knowing you were where you where suppose to be. At times it is the byproduct of peace and joy. At other times, it’s Keeanu Reeves.

Christmas Faith

It’s easy this time of year for me to have faith. People are generally cheerful, excited about the decorations, the gifts and the food. Especially the food. If you have seen me lately, these last 15 years, you would know that I love food.

The other day as I opened the church door I thought about how easy it is to have faith when the lights are so pretty on the Christmas tree. Or maybe the red and gold shiny bulbs mesmorize me until I’m in this state of delight. I have always liked glitter. These are the things I think about at Christmas going into the service.

I believe in a God who thinks much differently than I do. Today I read what Jesus said about money in Luke 16:15, “What the world honors is detestable in the sight of God.” I am so glad he thinks differently. I get pretty tired of my thinking. I believe in a God who challenges me much more than I like.

I like the days even after Christmas when I believe in a God who believes in me. When I really know God is cheering for me, not only because I read it or someone said it but I feel it. I had to want Him very badly to finally experience this feeling. But when I have this kind of faith then I know I can make a difference in the world.

Fear is driving us Squirrely

Fear us running rampant in this country like a rabid squirrel waiting to attack. Militia groups forming to protect their gun rights, tea party rallies protesting tax increases, hysteria over the health care debate. Has someone put halluciagins in our water? Let’s calm down with the cup of the tea we are tossing overboard and figure this out.
First, we need to think about where this fear comes from? Could it be that our national calm was shaken at 9/11? Being attacked on our soil will do that to us. Have you seen a pre 9/11 movie recently? The casual way the actors walk through an airport gives us a glimpse of the security we felt as a country. I want to place myself in the movie so I can pull the airport fire alarm and scream, “Brace yourself, you don’t know what is coming!” We are on alert, cautious and afraid as a nation.
Add to that our economic plight which has made us all feel less secure. Our lifestyles have been compromised, as we loose our jobs or on a lesser scale, we limit our buying. No one wants to give up the comfort we enjoy and we see it slipping from us.
These fears can be eliminated if we believe that we all want the same thing. We want security, to know we are safe from outside forces. We want to take care of our families and provide a future for them. We all want the same things so let’s catch the rabid squirrel, give it a shot and tame it. Instead of villifying the ones who offer different solutions, let’s listen and find common ground. Our enemy doesn’t lie in the opposing political party. Our enemy is the fear. Fear that doesn’t allow compromise or generate goodwill in our interactions.