Everyday "God things"

The back door after the fire

     Lots of little "God things" are happening along the way to building Betty a house.  Every few days the phone rings or someone e-mails, out of the blue, with news about Betty's house.  We received an e-mail from a family friend of Betty's who had heard that we were trying to get a group together for a build and she wanted to be a part of it.  We have gotten posts on Facebook about groups who want to join and one friend who is willing to donate her teacher's bonus.  A couple of skilled carpenters have said they they are ready to jump in. 
     Betty has LOTS of friends who are coming forward, asking what they can do, and we even found out that one of the Habitat Site Supervisors knows her personally and is excited that something is being done.  It is so awesome that so many people are willing to show their love in a tangible way, and that she has cultivated such a huge group of people that love her.

     I have been thinking a lot about what a church is, what we are called to be and mindfully looking for people reflecting Christ in our world.  I saw Him the other day in traffic when a man, riding by on his bicycle, and another, driving by, each pulled over to push a lady's stalled car to the side of the road.  I saw Him in the neighborhood when the older kids calmed their game down to gently throw the ball for the little kids.Look for Him tomorrow.  He is out there and active!

     Have you ever heard someone say, "I'm religious, but I don't go to church."? I'm not sure those people have ever been a part of what I think of as church.  Church is not the building, or the pastor, but the people, the family of the church.  I think we, as God's people, would be better served to think about going to church in the same way we used to think of going to Grandma's house for Sunday lunch.  It is an opportunity to be a family, to take a deep breath, to regenerate and to be with people who love us just as we are. 

     Being Church does come with responsibilities. 
          1.  We have the responsibility to welcome others into the family and love them.  (It's hard to be the new daughter in law in an established family.) 
          2. We have the responsibility to help out!  If Grandma has to do all the work all the time she's going to burn out.  Peel the potatoes, take out the trash, just pitch in somehow.  
          3.  We have the responsibility to represent the family with grace and honor to the best of our abilities so the rest of the world can see the joy of being family.

     Church should be the same on Tuesday as it is on Sunday.  Unless we, as disciples, are willing to model Christ's love in the "real" world the Church is dead.."For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field.  God's building." 1Cor. 3:9