I remember a smile coming to my lips as our pastor started his message yesterday. "What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love," in the familiar voice of Dionne Warwick. The smile came so quickly not just because this was popular in my youth but because I've been hearing this tune in my head for some months now. I've even thought of the words while observing certain circumstances around me in schools, shopping malls and restaurants. There are so many hurting people and its not difficult to see how they take their hurts out on others. Before you think I have some issues and find this funny or amusing, let me assure you my smile had nothing to do with pleasure in observing others' pain. Quite the opposite. I was simply feeling the connection yesterday as our pastor ministered the message to Love out Loud. My smile was like my signal back to God. "I hear you." God speaks so often if we tune our ears to listen. He might even use an old familiar tune to get our attention.
The message I heard yesterday would have had little impact if I'd been a hearer only. God's Word instructs us to be "doers" of the Word. I always know the Word will be challenged in my life and usually pretty quickly. The three main points of the message were:
Be present physically
Be present emotionally
Be present spiritually
A quick summary of these three points
Jesus (The Word) became flesh... He became deeply involved in the lives of those he ministered to.
He was present physically and had face to face contact with others.
Jesus (The Word) made His dwelling among us...His ministry brought revelation by fileting the hearts of those he spoke with...He settled in with those who needed to understand like Nicodemus and gave them time to understand who He really was...no guesswork...
Jesus (The Word) was full of grace and truth...He spoke the truth in love and His message was seasoned with grace and the assurance that He makes all things NEW.
This is my paraphrase of the message and how it played out in my heart and life within hours.
At the end of the sermon we were asked
"Who do you need to be "present" with this week?" Physically, emotionally, spiritually...
My mind went first to my father who is going to be 86 on Saturday and then to some ladies I've visited at the nursing home.. and before I could get too far I was in my car headed to my daddy's with a sack lunch from a local fast food.
I arrived at daddy's and unpacked my lunch. He'd had a small lunch and was watching football. He's not a big talker so I became my "chatty self." In all honesty, I think I congratulated myself on being present physically knowing I need to be there more than I have been in past weeks. But, the thoughts of being present emotionally are a little more hazy with most of us. Where would God want to filet my heart today in this relationship? How might I settle down into this visit and see where God might want me to grow?
When my daddy said he was going to go to the grocery store later, it came to me that I should ask my daddy to accompany me to the grocery store to get himself some groceries. Being an independent sort, I expected the usual, "I'll just go later." But instead after a slight, and I mean very slight hesitation, he agreed to go with me.
It was one of the quickest visits to the grocery store I've experienced in my life. Obviously, he has his list in his head and makes his visits one of short order so I was forced to keep up with him, even leaving behind one item I couldn't quickly find that was on my list. I could certainly pick this up sometime later at another store. Daddy was obviously tired by the 15 minute trip down two aisles and ready to get back home.
As I drove away from my dad's house, I remembered the pastors definition of "slacktivism." He mentioned those who post their interests in ministries to human trafficking (which by the way I'd just posted yesterday morning) and the wearing of t-shirts and armbands that tout your allegiance to some cause. He didn't mince words when he said "Show up." Love shows up. Today, I could be missing a frozen pie crust but I made time to get to another store. I confess I don't always show up physically, emotionally or spiritually but the Word was given yesterday and I learned by showing up my daddy would accept my offer and I could learn some patience and put my needs aside.
It's one thing to hear a love song inside my head, it's quite another to sing it out loud over others as we make the effort to show up in their lives. I know that one day I'll wear a smile when I remember our visit to the grocery store. I'll remember my daddy chuckling as a little Hispanic girl opened the freezer container to get something in front of him instead of being annoyed. I'll remember his determination to take the cart back and carry his own things inside his things in the house. I'll remember his concern that I get on home with my things. I'll remember my struggle to keep up with him as he grabbed the essentials and sped down the aisle while I was still trying to make my choices.
There's still so much I need to learn about loving others. Today I'm thinking of how much my daddy is ahead of me in this thing called life. His loving concern for my mother when she was ill and his determination in life in the face of difficult circumstances have been an inspiration. I imagine he could tell me alot about what real love means if he were a big conversationalist, but he's not. He has chosen to "show up" in the lives of his family members and has done it without complaining or seeming annoyed that we are taking his time. God help me get the love essentials on my list and stop wasting time with the unessentials. Let me show up and love out loud....there's a world out there that needs my daddy's character in me.
