This life is not about us

Today I went to a special event at my local church titled SOLO.....upon first thought, you might think, hmmm, must have been an event about being alone, about the lonely road, or maybe even about offering up our best solo from the song of our life, haha, in a way, you almost got it, it was an event for people who consider themselves single, although, it was also open to anyone who wanted to know a little bit more about living a life that is not all alone. The music was great, we worshipped, we sang, we rejoiced, and then came the teaching.

Now at Brentwood, just about everyone who teaches has the same type of practical, applicable approach, and today was Tim Geisland's turn. I had the privilege of meeting him this past Sunday, and today was my second encounter with him and it was even better than the first. He is definitely a guy most of us can learn from. In his teaching he spoke about the fact that we are a chosen people, that we belong to God. From this passage he explained his desire to see the people at Brentwood and around the community and church of God to be able to come together as a family and really learn to be there for one another so that no one person will go about life feeling alone, feeling solo. One of the major things that stood out to me from his teaching was a quote that said that anything we do not do for someone, will affect someone (don't quote me on that one, but it was something to this extent, hehe). Honestly, when it first came up on the screen, I wondered to myself, well I guess that goes because of the ripple effect of life, that anytime we do something, it can affect another in one way or another, and more often than not it does. But when Tim explained it, he stated the importance of this quote within the context of the church. He told of how one person not committing him/herself to another could eventually end up effecting someone in Thailand or El Salvador because the lack of relationship and communion among the church people usually ends up in a lack of relationship and action in the things the church is trying to do outside of the common box. In other words, if there is no one that I am committed to praying for, encouraging, listening, and struggling for, then that means there is potentially someone who is lacking of good communion with a fellow brother or sister in Christ. My being able to commit to another shows the love of Christ through me to that person, who can then turn to another and show them the same love of Christ. It's like a web, that keeps knitting together as one part is completed. Christ led by example in showing his love to all, and commanding us to do the same. However, the extent we can reach as mere humans is often limited because we ourselves are limited. But the thing is that in order to follow through with God's command to us, all we need to do is reach out to at least one person we will commit to and really push for communion with. When I actually got this, when I understood what Tim was explaining, I thought to myself, wow, like when I feel a burden in my heart for a certain person I have met, know, or want to know, and I just feel the need to pray for them.....that is me committing to that person; to pray for them, to offer encouragement to, and to be a friend for. I love how Tim stated that oftentimes we do not commit because we cannot get past the awkwardness of the initial meet and greets, or we cannot go without second guessing the intentions of this stranger who is suddenly talking to us, especially when you are single. I know that as a single, I always used to think of what it meant when a guy talked to me, whether he was interested or not, etc. But we need to get past that, we need to start being true to ourselves and to God and just move past the awkwardness and right into the caring and loving for one another.

I believe it was the Beatles who said it best when they said "All you need is love"....because if we could all learn to love one another with the love of Christ, which is a sincere, pure, innocent, no double-standards kind of love, then I honestly think the world would be a better place. How many people suffer from insecurity because they want to be friends with someone they met without secondary intentions, but have been somewhat rejected because their niceness was taken for flirtiness or he/she is hitting on me type of thing? How many people have given up on trusting others because everytime they make a friend, it ends up that person didn't really care to be your friend, it was just a in the moment type of thing? Or what about the people who cannot stand to go to singles events because they always end up turning into meat markets, a competition of who can be the flashiest...? What it all comes down to is that we really do need to ask God as Brandon Heath says "Give me your eyes"...there are so many people out there just wanting a friend, wanting a helpful hand, wanting an ear to listen, wanting a shoulder to lean on, a person to offer a simple hello, or a hug on a bad day....there are hearts that are feeling solo all around us...when are we going to wake up and realize that this life is not about us. We are not here to pamper ourselves, we are here to share the love that we so vividly know, that we have the privilege of understanding, that we know will never leave us empty. There are so many crying out for someone to care for them, not in a lovey dovey type of way, just in a sincere, Christ like way. When will we pick up on the fact that who cares if you feel uncomfortable, that you feel awkward going to talk to someone you don't know, that you don't want to appear as a creeper or stalker by trying to friend a random person.....if you are feeling the nudge then ask God to lead you with boldness. Matter of fact, start asking God to nudge you more often, to get you out of your comfort zone that you may begin showing His love unconditionally to all who need it. No one should have to go about this life solo, we were created in the image of a triune God, a God who interacts with Himself and shows us time and time again how He works through relationship....seriously, I think it's time we started living in the same way!