We have multi-housing ministry in our church that is run by an amazing woman named Luann. As a church we reach out to numerous apartment complexes in our area providing friendship, food, clothing, homework help, Bible studies, holiday events, and so on. The Sunday School class that Erik and I joined a while back volunteers every so often to lead a church service on the lawn of one of the apartment complexes. We've never been around when they've done it, but this week Erik was asked to teach a Bible lesson during the church service. So we went.
I was hesitant at first. Part of me wanted to stay at church and visit with people or go help out with the kids or something. Going to a run-down apartment complex on Sunday morning wasn't high on my list of things to do. But I knew that my attitude was wrong. So I went.
Today was a "Free Garage Sale" day at the complex, so as we arrived we noticed clothes were strewn about on tarps. People from the complex were picking over the goods and taking whatever they could use. Chairs were set up on the lawn and one of the guys from our class was playing his guitar--a call to worship, of sorts.
Quickly it became clear that I was not going to be sitting and listening to Erik give his Bible lesson. Luann put me to work! I went with a man from our church and knocked on all the doors of people who had recently moved into the apartment complex. We offered welcome bags and invited them to come get free clothes. Then I returned and folded clothes for a little while and I caught the end of Erik's lesson. As soon as his lesson was over, we hustled back to the church to pick up our kids.
Nothing really remarkable seemed to happened at Green Gables this morning. But who knows? Maybe something remarkable happened in one the people listening to the Bible lesson or perhaps someone was touched deeply by the provision of clothing for their children. Whether or not the events of this morning had eternal impact on the people of the apartment complex, I can tell you that my eyes were opened to the fact that I choose a ridiculously comfortable life. There was nothing frightening or difficult about what we did this morning...it was just a little uncomfortable. My desire for comfort almost won out over my desire to share the love of Jesus with people in tangible ways. How ridiculous is that? I hope the next time the choice is set before me, I will choose love. Christ is willing to love me. I want to be willing to love all people no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
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