Relationships

i've been watching some news lately. Elections, credit crunches, stock markets; all that stuff they want us to care more deeply about than the things we want to care about.

I'd rather care about my family, my friends, my community, and maybe even my business. These are the people and events and things i can put my hands on, and that can put their hands on me. These are the things that represent, in other words, relationships. 

Lately i've been thinking about relationships in my life. i think i've heard the still, small voice saying that i can never know Him more deeply than i know my closest friend (that'd be Windy). i'm challenged by that, so i have tried to be more conscious of what she's saying, doing, working on, thinking about, and probably most importantly, what she's feeling. 

For some reason i run from the feelings of other folks. So, that part is really, inexplicably difficult for me. 

i read that story in Luke 7 about the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears, dried them with her hair, kissed and perfumed his feet--for an embarrassingly long time. She was GIVING to Him in a way i find disturbingly personal. She seemed not to be aware of anyone or anything else but her overwhelming desire to give her self, and to serve Him extravagantly. Disturbing.

i am so reserved when it comes to stuff like that. Makes me think  . . . but i don't even know what it makes me think. i do know it's an intimacy issue. And i know that what Jesus said about that woman is true: "He who is forgiven much loves much."

Pray for me . . .

Something to which i aspire . . .

In the late 80s we led the oldest, continuously-run Young Life Club east of the Mississippi. No pressure there--i only thought "Don't mess this up" every time i walked into that high school. Until . . .

. . . one day i heard about a lady i that town who had been praying for Young Life 8 hours a day for 30 years. She prayed for leaders, staff, high school folks, etc., no kidding, for 8 hours a day.

One of my mentors taught us that we had to develop a capacity for prayer--meaning, we have to pray a lot to prepare ourselves to pray a lot. The school i was attending prepared missionaries for the field, and prayer was the primary tool.

How did that lady pray 8 hours a day? Well, i think she knew the Person to whom she was praying very well. She loved Him and enjoyed being with Him. And, she told me once, He loves me loving Young Life. So, this is my fellowship with Him, talking with Him about Young Life.

i'm convinced she is the reason we couldn't mess it up at that high school--heck, maybe she's the reason folks laughed at dumb skits and crowds came to club and camp.

Anyhoo, some of you have headed off to school, others will be around a few more days, and some are still in high school. We're prayin' for you. In some cases we know what to pray, in others we just pray your name. Not 8 hours every day, but every day, several times a day. We're probably not the disciples that woman in Knoxville was, but we do enjoy the time with Him on your behalf. i hope that might encourage you . . . like the friend at midnight, we're knocking on the door for you . . .

Have fun, and be careful out there. Blessings! -- mike

i went to this cool thing . . .

i went to this cool thing last night. It's called a Young Life Club. i don't know what i actually expected when i went there; was it a club, as in "going clubbing"? Or was it like Rotary or Lions or Kiwanis? i had heard some of my friends would be there, so i went.

There was a ton of energy. Much of the time it seemed like chaos, with a plan. Stuff just kept happening. They sang some songs i've heard on the radio, with some guys playing guitars and some girls kinda "leading" with microphones. They showed the words up on the wall on a sheet.

Some sad guys came out dressed up in suits that were a couple sizes too small. These guys were lookin' for prom dates. "How long you been lookin'?" "I dunno, 4 years maybe?" "I been lookin' all my life." They were very sad. Then somebody played some boy-band music and these guys were suddenly dancin' and lip-syncing. Very funny. They told their stories with songs like that and more dancing and lip-syncing. Then two other guys came in dressed in, well, dresses, with balloons stuffed you-know-where. It was love at first site. Next thing i knew, they were all dancin' and lip-syncing together, and left the room singin' "Bye bye bye!"

Some girls sang this song about "if I were not in Young Life, I know just what I'd be..." Carpenter, farmer, tennis player, ballerina, pizza maker... That was funny, and the girls were cool.

(Somewhere in the middle of all this, i figured out that all these folks doing things up front are seniors in high school, and this was the last "club" of their high school careers.)

Then this one skinny girl (the carpenter from before) came back and made some announcements. i missed most of that, except for something about summer camp and a $100 deposit and a trash-a-thon. She was cool, but didn't know it. When she was finished they showed this video about the camp, called Frontier Ranch, in Colorado. The video said if you go there, it will be the best week of your life. Some people who have already been there and some others who are already signed up made some noise about it. (i have to say, it made me kinda want to go, but i was bein' cool about it.)

More songs from the radio, and a song about "lighting a fire in my soul" followed. The club part started making a little bit of sense to me, 'cause most of the people there knew that song, and i never heard it on the radio. i guess it was a cool song.

Somebody, at one point, said to the crowd that we should give it up for some 8th graders who were there. i guessed that this must be how they get new people there; inviting people who will be in high school next year. i saw the ones they were talkin' about. A bunch of girls that seemed a little bit shy, and a little bit little.

Then this guy (one of the prom dates from before) came to the microphone. He had some nickname that i don't think i should repeat here. BUT, he introduced a guy he said was his friend. There was an unusual sense of sincerity in the introduction; i was envious as i thought, "How would it be if i had a friend like that, who would sincerely introduce me and say stuff about me as if he knew me well and really, actually "loved" me?" The guy with the nickname said his friend was going to tell his testimony. i was ready to listen.

The speaker was also a high school senior. His name was Mike something (his last name was kinda like hippopotamus, but that can't be it). i mean, he wasn't like a polished speaker or anything, but again he was sincere. He talked about his life and his family, and about how some people invited him to church and to Young Life, and about how all that had sort of grown in him a closeness to God, and had helped him in some hard times in his life. Like i said, he wasn't polished or preachy, he just seemed to want to give away something that was good in him, and i have to say, i wanted it. He told us to trust God's plan because He's good. And, he said he hoped we'd invite people to church and to Young Life next year, and to that camp, because that's what really helped him.

Then everybody went to Wendy's. i didn't do that part because i thought i should just go home and tell my family about what had just happened. And, i wanted to write some of it down to tell you about it. And, i'm one of those people that just needs to think about stuff, like maybe some others who were there.

It was a cool thing. You should check it out sometime. If you want, you can go with me; i think i'll go back next year.

If i knew what i was talkin' about, i'd probably congratulate the staff and volunteers for such a great group. There was lots of energy, bright faces, and the love of fun was obvious. And some of those seniors obviously understood what the whole thing should look and feel like.

But hey, what do i know!?

("We repeat, we really saw and heard what we are now writing to you about. We want you to be with us in this--in this fellowship with the Father, and Jesus Christ his Son." I John 1:3 [Phillips])