This has been a long week. And Wednesday was one of THOSE days. On my way to my spiritual formation group, I got pulled over by a cop. My tags expired on January 31 and Wednesday was February 2. On my way back from the spiritual formation group, I think I hit every single stoplight it was possible to hit, making me late back from lunch.
In addition to that I’m working on a project at work that’s driving me nuts right now. A lot of conference calls and not a lot of productive response. It’s stressing me out and making me irritable. Or rather I should say, I’m responding in an irritating way.
Having said that, the church service on Wednesday night was just what I needed to refocus. It was a time of calming and really thinking about others.
I run sound for most things that happen at Otter Creek and Wednesday’s are no exception. Well, this time was a fairly simple one: just a keyboard, vocal mic, and monitor. However, during the whole service, there was a girl sitting in the balcony, where the sound board is (and musicians, too). She was wiping her eyes and wiping her nose through the whole thing.
At the end of his sermonette, Scott Owings asked us to take the bread of the Lord’s Supper and keep one for ourselves and give one to someone else, telling them that they are beloved by God. Well, I don’t know if it was from the Lord or what’s going on, but I felt really convicted to take a piece of bread to this crying girl. So, I took one to her and told her that, with tears in her eyes and mine filling with them, too.
After the service was over (at which I could barely sing Watermark’s “Amazing Grace”), I looked over there and she was gone, which I expected. I wasn’t intending to talk to her, but just to give a smile or something. So, just offer up a prayer of peace for her. I don’t know if it was a boyfriend deal, something wrong with a family member, or if she just had a bad day like I did. But it reminds me that life as a member of the body of Christ is not about me. It’s for me to take care of others. To offer comfort.
To die to myself so that Christ might live through me.
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4 comments:
Isn't it funny how when we feel like we're spent and need God to just feed us, He usually has us do something for someone else...and we both get fed.
AE
Almost makes you think that should be the purpose of church.
Was a really spirit-filled night. I came in late after some time with ZOE and went to sit by Glenda Cowart. She started to cry and told me she'd been thinking about me all day and God is sooo good to us for Him to send me to her right then. She buried her head in my shoulder and cried a little while, and I just held her and sang that "Amazing Grace" song over her. Was so glad I came in.
You know, as much as I complain about how community works in a corporate church setting (and I do), it's stories like yours, Clarissa, that give me a measure of hope. These little nuggets of community can still happen.
I just wish they would happen so often they become normal for us.
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