What difference does it make?


There are times when I feel like I go to church not expecting anything, but I walk away feeling like God spoke to me, and ONLY me, during that time of worship. I do not subscribe to the idea that church needs to "feed me". On the contrary, I believe that our time in worship is to Glorify God, and in that act of worship, then, he will feed us. Sometimes we are fed from the sermon. Sometimes we are fed from the choir anthem, or even the lesson of the day. 

Today, I was fed by the sermon. 

I was commenting to someone recently about my favorite movie, "It's a Wonderful Life". We all know it. Local man George Bailey, who has always wanted to be an explorer, is stuck in his town that seems itself to be like him. He never goes anywhere, and the town itself, Bedford Falls, seems to stay mired in itself, never becoming Manhattan, or even Buffalo. But then George sees what life and his town would be like if it wasn't for him. His brother dead because he wasn't saved by George. His mother a destitute old woman forced to run a boarding house. His uncle Billy neglected at the insane asylum. The town "bad girl" Violet is now a dime-a-dance floozy. And the town itself, now Pottersville, is just as vile and destitute. George not only saves his brother, but he saves all those whom he loves. George saves Bedford Falls, and to his beloved wife Mary, he saves her from loneliness and solitude. 

And that fed right into today's sermon. The text was Matthew 16:24, where Christ says that if anyone follows him, they must deny themselves and pick up their cross and follow. Granted, I've had difficulty with that passage for years - maybe decades. But as pastor preached, he shared what it really means to deny oneself. And that's when it hit me.

The act of denying oneself means to do something that we may not consider doing. It means to stretch oneself out for the good of others. From the pulpit he shared the ways we can deny ourselves and be of service to others, which included many of the ministries we have at our church that support the poor, the hungry, and the homeless. 

And as I sat there I had my George moment. I often have feelings like George, like I don't make a difference. But in my George moment this morning I realized that in simply trying to be the best dad I could be to the kids, in working hard to keep us as a family, I was denying myself. I think of the kids first. As I navigate on this journey of dating I run across single moms who tell me that their kids are the most important thing to them. I get it. It's the same for me. Oh, sure, the kids are older, and they understand the importance of me getting out and having some time, be it in nature doing photography, or having dinner with a single mom. And thankfully, because I have made that investment in them, the return has been loving and generous kids, who want me to be happy. 

And THAT is what makes the difference.

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