Often I send all-staff emails to the folks at work about ways they can get involved personally in helping children and families in our community.
When I hit send I imagine eye rolls. “Why is Claudia always inviting us to do something? Why does it always have to be so far outside my comfort zone?”
People find it hard to believe when I suggest that is truly to share joy with them— to share an opportunity for you to see God do cool stuff. I have had this motto for years personally (obviously we see how that is turning out :-) :
"If you want to see God do cool things, do things you can’t possibly do alone. Because if you only take on what you can handle, you don’t need God to show up.”
Because of the choices my husband and I have made, we have had the privilege of seeing God show up in amazing ways over the years. Sometimes we have been stretched to the point we felt we were going torn apart, but we are still standing and God is still in control.
Jesus’ words were even more challenging than my emails: In fact, they were super “out there” when it comes to rational thought. Check out these verses from Matthew 16:
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
So when I suggest that heading to “the hood” and clean up someones yard of course you’re going to delete that email — because that is way more than you can imagine doing. I get that. But believe me when I say that if you say yes “not only will lives be changed, but you will never be the same”’
The very heart of the gospel is this: That if we hang on to — protect — guard — over-value — cling to this earthly life, we’re going lose it. Giving up our lives for His sake is the only way to find them.
Check out this great song.
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