I hopped and flopped around

Tonight was spent in running shorts, tennis shoes, in the dark, with the music, under a disco ball.  In short: I had my first zumba experience.  If you’re not familiar with zumba, it is a workout class that involves dancing (or maybe a better word would be flailing), loud music, laughter, and plenty of sweat. 

It is fair to say I made a complete fool of myself.  I am not a dancer by nature, and grace often evades me.  My goal tonight: keep moving.  And I did keep moving for the duration of the fun-filled hour.  It was a blast.  I had no inhibitions (the lights were off), I admit I enjoyed the loud music, and I had the perfect example of how to “zumba” in front of me the whole time (the instructor stands under a light on a stage in front of the class). 

As I hopped and flopped around, I couldn’t help but see how this whole thing was so much like our lives as Christians.

The instructor didn’t care that I wasn’t doing all the steps right, she didn’t call me out for turning the wrong way, or for jumping to the wrong side.  All she wanted was for us to try, to keep moving.  She wanted us to attempt to imitate her even though she was well aware the bunch of us had little hope for doing so with any sense of perfection.  “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children” (Ephesians 5:1).  God knows we cannot attain the perfection he is, but we are calls us to live our lives as an attempt to follow his example. 

In my mind, I imagined this zumba class as a room full of 20-something women, all on the “fitter” side of life.  However, this crowd consisted of women, men, young people, middle-aged people, older people, fit people, less-fit people, energetic people, and even some lethargic people.  We all flopped around together and I found a sense of comfort as I gazed upon my peers who looked just as ridiculous as I did.  We were in this together.  “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  The man to my left did not get angry when I hopped right into his personal space, but we laughed and carried on.  As we fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, do not be easily angered, but treat each other with love. 

As the hour neared its end, the instructor did the unthinkable: she dared to come down off the stage and hop around with us on the gym floor.  She hopped through the crowd (with much more grace than any of us could muster), encouraged us, and even offered high-fives.  She dared to dance and dwell among us, even though the probability of us flopping into her was likely.  “[Christ], who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage, rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:6-7).  God came off his stage to dwell among us.  If I was so excited to get a high-five from some lady I have never met before, how much greater is it to think that God himself came to earth to die for me? 

That pretty much sums up the Christian life: Christ saved us, we aim to imitate Christ, and we are given the family of Christ to encourage us and live life with.  Life is not promised to be easy for the Christian (and zumba was by no means easy), but it can be enjoyable, exciting, and even rewarding (like the feeling I had after completing my first zumba endeavor).  So even if you flop your way through life, never give up.  Life is good.  

Life as I already know it

I love reading cookbooks.  It’s not uncommon for me to receive cookbooks for my birthday or for Christmas or any other gift-giving event.  I love reading the recipes themselves, looking at the pictures of delectable food, and imagining what meal I might put together from the recipes given. 

As much as I love these cookbooks and as often as I read them, I rarely cook a new recipe.  When the time comes for me to make dinner, or bake a treat, I usually go right back to the good old faithful recipes that are tried and true.  I like that I already know how to make that certain recipe (sometimes I don’t even need the recipe because it has been made so many times).  I like that I already know I will enjoy what’s being made.  I like that there are no questions as to my success in making this recipe. 

I love finding new verses.  You know, those verses we run across in our devotionals that seem so wonderful we wonder why we haven’t memorized them before.  These are the verses I write down in my journal, send to friend, or maybe even go so far as to post as my facebook status. 

Similar to my fetish with cookbooks, these verses often go unapplied to my life.  I read them, love them, and write them down… but then fail to make any changes to the way I live my daily life.  Or even worse, I forget the verse altogether.  Maybe I’m afraid those changes will be harder to make than I initially thought.  Maybe I worry about what other people will think if I start acting differently.  Or maybe I just prefer life as I already know it, like I prefer those classic Hammack family recipes. 

The great thing about the Bible is that it is all true, it is all the Word of God, and it is all beneficial to our lives.  Unlike recipes, we don’t have to worry about a disastrous result.  Chances are, if you put into action what you read in the Bible, only good things will come of it.  So don’t just read it, do it.  

“These commandments that I give to you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

God doesn’t desire for us to hear his truth and then continue on with life as “usual.”  He lists what he wants us to do with those words of wisdom: put them on our hearts, instill those truths in our children, talk about them wherever we go, keep them bound to us as symbols and reminders, make our house a reminder of those commands. 

Next time you read a verse that means something special to you or that feel God is impressing on your own heart, see how you can apply it.  Who can you share it with?  Who can you talk about it with?  How can you put reminders in your life about that verse, that piece of wisdom?  Even if it’s just a sticky note in your car, or on your door.  Even if it’s just an email to a friend, talking about what God taught you today.  Even if it’s just an action sometime during the day that reflects what you want to take away from that verse.  Do something.

“My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.  Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”  (Proverbs 3:1-3)

Urgent flurry of wannabe photographers

I recently went to the beach at sunset to snap a few pictures.  Seems like a peaceful endeavor, right?  Wrong.  I arrived at the parking lot to find people running in all directions with cameras, tripods, and baby strollers.  I never imagined such chaos in the midst of a seemingly calm and beautiful event.  Their sense of urgency inspired me to pull into a parking spot with little care, tear open the camera bag, hop out of my car, and run to the waterfront. 

I arrived at the beach at exactly 4:11pm and had time to take about 20 pictures before the sunset a little before 4:20.  In hindsight, without that urgent flurry of wannabe photographers, I probably would’ve waited to hear the end of the song playing on my ipod, lollygagged my way to the beach, and missed the whole thing. 

Sometimes there’s a need for urgency.  Far too many of us lollygag our way through life.  We think we have all the time in the world, no need to rush.  But when in it comes to our mission here on earth, we are in need of some urgency! 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

We have been asked to go and make disciples.  What does this mean?  It means we are called to go out and share the gift of salvation with people.  So when are we supposed to do this?  According to 2 Corinthians 6:2, “NOW is the time.” 

There is no certainty in the days we have here on earth.  But one thing is certain: Jesus will come back without any warning.  Are there people you know who are not saved?  Have you shared with them how to find salvation?  If not, then we need to grasp the sense of urgency we are called to. 

“For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2)  Jesus’ return is imminent.  There are two possible ways our lives will come to an end: we will die, or Jesus will return.  One of the two is rapidly approaching.

Don’t be the lollygagger who misses the sunset, or who misses the opportunity to share salvation with the people we encounter.  Not all of us will travel to Africa, China, Latvia, or Korea to be missionaries.  That is OK.  But all of us live in communities with people desperately seeking a better way.  Don’t waste your time because the sun is quickly setting.