Time

As I write this I'm struck with a very acute sense of time. More specifically the passage of time and the ebb and flow of friendships it brings. It seems as time marches on and me with it, some old friendships begin to take a LOT of work to hold on to. I'm not sure why. Some friendships continue on in, more or less, their normal fashion, but even they take a greater investment of time and energy in order to keep them "normal".

I went to Texas last weekend with the K-State group. What an incredible blessing. Not only was the service project a wonderful perspective changing event, but the fellowship was delightfully encouraging. It was my first road trip with that group since I graduated. Oh the things we take for granted. The old cliche "You don't know what you've got till it's gone" is so true. Even when you know it's going to be that way...you just can't fully appreciate/fathom what you have until you're gone. I have such a love in my heart for that group. I struggle for ways to express it.

Our service project in Dallas involved handing out canvas bags with food items in them to homeless people where they were living under an elevated interstate. The despair was tangible. My heart cried out for those people, and it came into stark focus how little I could do for them. It's all about Jesus. There is nothing I can give to change these peoples lives...the cycle of dispair, the bad habits/addiction...all I can do is inform them of Jesus. Maybe He can make their lives a little more bearable...hope. These people wish they had a clean shirt, and we bicker over which color to wear. These people wish they had a warm meal, and we complain if it's not fast enough, hot enough, good enough. These people are thankful when someone shares their cardboard box, and we complain if our house isn't warm enough, or big enough, or fancy enough.

Jesus, give me a thankful servant heart.

Monday on my way back to Illinois, I stopped in KC and had lunch with Kim and Karen Kellenberger. It was nice to catch up a little bit. Karen is a wonderful example of a servant heart. It's never "what can you do for me", and it's always "what can I do for you". Her love has carried me more than once.

My selfish prayer request to those who read this is this:
Pray that I can be Christlike in my relationships at home. Pray that I can be patient when it's needed, and that I can be open with Christ's love. Pray that a line of communication can be opened.

May God make His presence real in your life. Our God is not a God of routine motions. Our God is a Consuming Fire!!