What I’m Celebrating
Easter is like the Super Bowl of Christianity. You gather together with people you see once a year to watch the big show. Go, Team Jesus! So, sometimes I get a little carried away when it comes to Easter. I start thinking that we are responsible for this big production. I tell RK that we need a big white tent, a new mat, more doughnuts and muffins, more coffee, catering, a worship team and a half time show! But maybe God doesn’t need the big show. He already did it. Maybe he just needs us to show up, be salt and light, and tell the world that He’s alive and He really is good. And big show or not, that is good news! But just how good is God? I can tell you this: He’s better than you think. Have you ever noticed that the word “gooder” doesn’t exist? That’s because everything that God is just happens to be the best. So let me tell you how good God has been to us this week.
On Saturday, I listened to a Tim Ferris podcast where he interviewed Tony Robbins. I thought to myself that I’d really like to listen to some of Tony Robbins teaching. The big problem is that that stuff can get expensive fast. So, I just left it at that.
A timely donation for Easter Sunday!
Then on Sunday night, as RK and I walked around the mall, I told him how much I’d really like to do a giveaway on Easter Sunday. A lot of the people who come to our church are either homeless or one paycheck away from homelessness. I told him how I wanted to give away some gift cards to Walmart, maybe some backpacks or shoes or things that would be useful to them. And then we went on talking about other things and I left it at that.
Then on Monday, RK got a call from a guy who wanted to clean out his storage unit and donate his stuff. He had tried calling other churches but everyone said no. He had called 15 other churches before he got in touch with RK. We gladly accepted his things. We sorted through bags and bags of stuff and when we were through we had received 3 backpacks, shoes, clothing, a bunch of coins (both American and Chinese), floss, and other things. But the coolest thing was that he had given us every single Tony Robbins teaching CD or DVD! I’m talking thousands of dollars worth of product! Three CD binders full! So not only do we have things to give away to our homeless congregation, but I now have more Tony Robbins material than I could ever listen to!
So, how good is God? God is so good! He even answers the prayers we aren’t even praying! As if that wasn’t enough goodness, one of my mom’s friends decided to bless us by making copious amounts of flan. Delicious, caramel sauce-covered flan! It was her Easter gift to us. Isn’t that awesome?!
On Easter Sunday, we ate a feast of bacon, eggs, pancakes, sausages, doughnuts, muffins, fruit salad and flan. We gave out clothes and backpacks and enjoyed our time with the friends of Jesus.
What I’m Laughing About
We took the kids to the park earlier this week to have a little picnic. As we were sitting there eating our lunches I talked to the kids about Easter Sunday and how I’d like to do a giveaway for the friends of Jesus who end up coming and this gave me the chuckles:
Me: What should we give away? What do people need?
Keahi: I don’t know…floss maybe.
There were some really cool things in the donation bags. There were also some random things including a scared black cat. We thought it would be funny to put it outside on the lane. All morning I laughed as people reacted to that cat. It was so funny hearing them say things like, “Is that cat real? If it is, it needs to go!” It got moved several times before it finally disappeared. Good times.
What I’m Listening To
Thanks to that awesome donation I’m listening to a lot of Tony Robbins. Right now I’m listening to: Time of Your Life: 3 Ways to Take Control of Your Life. So far, I’ve just figured out that I do a lot of things that are a waste of time. I will let you know if I end up learning anything that’s life changing.
What I’m Thinking About
After church on Sunday I ended up talking to one of the guys who comes regularly. He’s been struggling with sobriety and the guilt and shame of failing so publicly as a Christian on the streets. My heart went out to him. He told me that if it weren’t for us and one other guy, he would feel completely isolated. That really got to me. It really reminded me why we are out there. We don’t have a church building because these guys wouldn’t feel comfortable in a church. We meet in the park because it’s close to where they sleep and live. And we choose to sit and chat because sometimes those are the only positive conversations those guys will have all week. So we’re not the Super Bowl of churches. No lights, no stadium, no big game. We might just be a pick up game and that’s okay. And those guys–the guys that may never be in the NFL– still need to know they are welcome to play.
This week I was reminded that God is alive! He is intimately involved in our lives. He’s listening to our thoughts when we’re on the way to work. He hears us when we’re talking to each other on Date Night. He’s alive. And He’s good.
