I love the story Lysa TerKeurst tells about a little, old granny who stopped to help her on the side of the road early in her speaking career.
Lysa was traveling with an assistant when something happened to their rental car causing them to become stranded on the side of the road. It was a Sunday morning and they needed to get to the airport to catch a flight home so time was of the essence.
Lo and behold, a white Lincoln Continental pulls-up, driven by an older woman dressed to the nines on her way to church.
When she asked if she could help, Lysa explained their dilemma.
“Well girls, sometimes we GO to church and sometimes we just have to BE the church!” she answered. Lysa and her assistant climbed in and the little old lady from Pasadena drove them to the airport.
Going to Bible studies, memorizing scripture, reading books that further your walk and meeting with other believers is a wonderful way to fill yourself and mature you as a believer. But that’s all mostly about you.
Unless we get-out and apply what we’re learning, we become so spiritually fat we lose site of who’s hungry.
And there’s a lot of hungry people out there we can feed.
There’s nothing wrong with feasting – unless we don’t ever fast. We’re meant to take-it-in then put-it-out. The best way to tell others about Jesus is to put skin on the scriptures.
Our pastor, Dan, is a busy man with many who request his time. He’s respected, trusted and revered but what Jason and I love so much about him is his willingness to admit he doesn’t have all the answers. His humility is a welcome breath of fresh air.
Dan volunteers at Lafayette Transitional Housing, an organization that helps the homeless, once a week. His wife Dana also has a servant’s heart and they include their children whenever they can.
In this day of pastors scheduled so tightly you often can’t get past their secretary, this encourages me. Dan walks the talk.
This past weekend, Dan was featured in our local newspaper as someone who gives his time each week to LTH. “Small things make a huge difference,” he said.
And that’s exactly what the last two chapters of Rhinestone Jesusare about. Starting with small things.
You don’t have to open a maternity home in Kenya though if that’s what you’re called to do, then by all means, go.
Not all of us are called to do “big” things. In fact, most of us are called to do small things. Small things with great love.
It starts with sponsoring one more Compassion child. With committing to shopping fair trade as much as possible. With saying “yes” to volunteering for an organization in your community that makes your heart bleed.
It starts with you. The hands and feet.
If you look at the life of Jesus, then you see a man who did small things. Sure, He did some big stuff, too (feed over 5,000 with just a few loaves and fishes anyone?); but He also did small things that didn’t seem like such a big deal.
He loved a woman accused of adultery and set her free. He offered encouragement to a woman at a well who was shunned by her community. He spoke-out against the judgmental Pharisees who emphasized rules more than relationship.
He did small things with great love.
And God is love (1 John 4:8).
What a journey it has been, friends. I’ve loved this book so much and it has caused me to really think about what I purchase, what it’s important to me, and how to build missional hearts within my three children. I’m so thankful for Kristen’s words.
Before I pose this week’s questions, I’d like to invite you to join us for our next study…We’re doing a simple, five-week Advent study called Not a Silent Night: Mary Looks Back to Bethlehemby Adam Hamilton…Click here to request to be added to our Facebook group.
So for this week, please tell us in the comments…
What is something small you can do?
What is your biggest take-away from Rhinestone Jesus?
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We actually were so moved by her desire to sponsor more Compassion children in her book that we chose to do the same thing, and now I have had new Colombian children join our family a couple weeks ago from the same region our children were born! We can’t wait for our children to grow up corresponding with children from their very own home region and to someday visit them!
My biggest takeaway is that this book allowed God to continue a process started by Jen Hatmaker’s book – Interrupted. God has been moving on my heart to step up and make more of a difference in the lives of others. Her idea of our “one” thing got my husband and I thinking. We have now developed a system of home, community, country, world and we are picking focuses in each of those areas to serve others.
That’s awesome that your children will have that opportunity to correspond and help a child from the region the were born!!
I just loved this book so much! It’s pushing me further in the direction that I was being lead, but with a deeper dedication. I’m feeling much more intentional. If I want a piece of chocolate, I’ll enjoy my sweet treat from a fair trade candy bar. If I want to buy a gift, I’ll check the fair trade sites or greater good to see if I can find something they would like there first. If I’m driving by someone’s open mailbox full of mail and it’s raining, I’ll close it. It’s just opening my eyes to these simple ways to be helpful and show God’s love to others. Thank you so much for picking this book, Natalie. I’ve read Radical. That was a really good book and made me look hard at the choices I’ve made. But sometimes, as a mom, I don’t feel radical. This book has really opened my eyes to the impact that even a small yes can make.