Have you ever sung a song, and in the midst of singing it, realized exactly what you were saying? A light bulb moment of the musical variety. The tune is catchy, so you la-la-la along, then BAM! Oh my gosh! Yeah! This is right! And you sing all the more emphatically. Or perhaps, like I did the other day at church, it's Oh my gosh! What am I saying? I'm lying. To God. In church. And He knows it!
So what lyrics made me stop mid-song?
Send me out to the world to make You known
Send me out to the world to make you known
Send me out to the world
The world is a big place, and the truth is I don't want to go "out to the world." I have some health issues that often make travel more trouble than it's worth, plus I simply like to lay my head down on my own comfy pillow in my own snugly bed each night.
We (everyone but me) sang the song through a second time, and I realized that there were a few lines that I could sing and mean them wholeheartedly:
I wanna be Your hands & feet
I wanna be Your voice every time I speak
As we sang, I slipped back in time some forty years and saw the construction paper cut-out letters as they circled construction paper daisies on my sixth-grade classroom's bulletin board. The message on the board read, "Bloom Where You're Planted." At the time, I thought it ridiculous. Of course, a flower blooms where it's planted! Duh, Mrs. Luna! (middle schooler's eye roll).
I may not have the fastest tongue on the lily pad, but I eventually caught the fly: oh! We're the flowers!
It's a lesson I've learned before, but standing there in church, singing this song and remembering that bulletin board, the light bulb grew bright (even though I hadn't known it had dimmed): He HAS sent me into the world. I'm already there. Here. I'm in it now. Right now. Right where I am. Living in my middle class home in my middle class neighborhood with my middle class friends, family, co-workers, and co-congregants. THIS is the world where God has sent me and causes me to bloom. This is where He calls me to be His hands, His feet, His voice. HERE. Today. To the people He brings into my life this day.
Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there.
I Corinthians 7:17
The Message
So what lyrics made me stop mid-song?
Send me out to the world to make You known
Send me out to the world to make you known
Send me out to the world
The world is a big place, and the truth is I don't want to go "out to the world." I have some health issues that often make travel more trouble than it's worth, plus I simply like to lay my head down on my own comfy pillow in my own snugly bed each night.
We (everyone but me) sang the song through a second time, and I realized that there were a few lines that I could sing and mean them wholeheartedly:
I wanna be Your hands & feet
I wanna be Your voice every time I speak
As we sang, I slipped back in time some forty years and saw the construction paper cut-out letters as they circled construction paper daisies on my sixth-grade classroom's bulletin board. The message on the board read, "Bloom Where You're Planted." At the time, I thought it ridiculous. Of course, a flower blooms where it's planted! Duh, Mrs. Luna! (middle schooler's eye roll).
I may not have the fastest tongue on the lily pad, but I eventually caught the fly: oh! We're the flowers!
It's a lesson I've learned before, but standing there in church, singing this song and remembering that bulletin board, the light bulb grew bright (even though I hadn't known it had dimmed): He HAS sent me into the world. I'm already there. Here. I'm in it now. Right now. Right where I am. Living in my middle class home in my middle class neighborhood with my middle class friends, family, co-workers, and co-congregants. THIS is the world where God has sent me and causes me to bloom. This is where He calls me to be His hands, His feet, His voice. HERE. Today. To the people He brings into my life this day.
Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there.
I Corinthians 7:17
The Message
Actually, yes! I did it about 8 years ago (and probably since then) and have never forgotten the moment! I was in a small group of believers and we were singing, "Your name is like honey on my lips, Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and Jesus I love you...." Right then I was challenged, "How much do I actually love Him and show it and how much is just words?" I will never forget that moment! God still uses it to remind me today, "Are you really showing me love or is it just words?" Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Lori! :)
ReplyDeleteGot any MiracleGrow? I could use some! :D
P.R.O.F.O.U.N.D!!! These thoughts are inclusive of everyone, no one is left out, no one is left "outside", no one "doesn't fit the bold"... including me! Thanks for tilling the soil so we all have room to grow.
ReplyDelete