Lessons from a Muller advert ...

Whilst watching the new advert for Muller yoghurt - the one with Yogi Bear and Mr Men in it - I couldn't stop thinking about Mr Topsy Turvy who does everything the wrong way round, very often totally backwards. 

This led me to think about Jesus ... I know, strange link ... bear with me.

You see, there was a way things where always done until Jesus showed up and picked the fat kid first. So, not only did God give your friend more talents/brains/athleticism than you but he totally changed the rules to the game, under his new rules, everything is backwards.

• The last becomes first and the first becomes last
• The way up is the way down and the way to win is to lose.
• Instead of exalting the top dog, he exalts the underdog. 
• Instead of climb 'up' the ladder, he says climb 'down' the ladder.... 
• Instead of living, He says die.
• Instead of 'be masters', He says 'be servants'. 

In Gods story, the “religious goody two shoes who have been serving God all their lives” get to serve drinks at the huge party Jesus is throwing for the “rebellious runaway black sheep kids who have not contributed anything to Gods Kingdom”. I sometimes, feel inadequate and wish I had more talents/opportunities. But are you listening to me? Do you hear: God has changed the rules.

• It doesn't matter if you're the spiritual equivalent of the fat kid that got picked last in gym class
• It doesn't matter if you're lost or broken. 
• It doesn't matter if you're a cleaner, rubbish collector or you pastor a church of five people
• It doesn't matter if you only have one talent or are average at everything
• It doesn't matter if you've scored many own goals.
• It doesn't matter if you've disqualified yourself
• It doesn't matter because Jesus changed the rules. 

Our rules say guys like Lou Fellingham and Mike Pilavachi are first because they have more talent - which they do. Gods rules says the unknown, unsung hero cleaning the toilets before church is first. The good news is not: you're the most talented or influential 'player' on the team, cause you're not.The good news is in Gods story, the little guy is not only the first to be picked but he gets to play too. The fat kid gets to play. The un-athletic kid gets to play. The foreign kid gets to play. The unqualified, gets to play.

And I hope (to quote a Nigerian pastor) that I'm not the kid throwing a fit on the sidelines cause coach is doing something I didn't expect ... all I need to learn is this: With God, I get to play.

Lessons from the Thick Darkness ...

No doubt you know exactly what I am writing about when I say: "I had one of them days". Actually, it was one of them weekends. People needed me, they were asking me questions, I had no idea on how to answer ... yet I so knew they needed something, a glimpse of hope in their dark times, I felt powerless and after the third request for help, which I could not provide, I even started feeling useless, and to quote Enid Blyton - down the slippery slope I went, landing in a dark place. One of them places where one can feel the darkness ... where darkness becomes tangible and heavy and really dark. No doubt you've been there too.

Our church also kicked off a new season of 24/7 and I had once again chosen the midnight slot. You can probably guess that when you're in that heavy, uncomfortable, dark place, the last thing you want to do is go in a shed to pray. As I was there I sat ... and waited ... and switched of all the lights, to almost become one with the darkness I felt inside ... so, Come on Lord ... speak. NOTHING !

God in the thick darkness as drawn in the Prayer Shed

After switching the lights back on I decided to use the concordance (a big book with major words in alphabetical order and where to find them in the bible) to see what the bible had to say about darkness ... and that's where my eyes were opened (you probably already knew what I'm about to share, but for me it was fantastic). I've always been aware that God is everywhere, all the time. But although I knew it ... I didn't really know it. In my search on the word darkness, I came across Exodus 20:21 - The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. Did it strike you, like it struck me? ... God, who in Jesus is the Light of the world, was in the the thick darkness. I hope you're getting as excited about this as I was. God is in my thickest darkness. 

Jewish tradition has it that Moses was drawn/led into the darkness - to meet God Almighty. The people remained at a distance ... that is so often me, especially when there is thunder and lighting and scary stuff going on, I'll (try and) hide away ... but God invites me to go into the thick darkness, where He already is ... I can not write down how this is making me feel, I just hope you discover it for yourself, the lesson from the thick darkness.

Lessons from a raindrop

"Everybody wants happiness

nobody wants the pain

but there will not be a rainbow

without a little rain".

As the rain is lashing against my window today, and the grey sky is making the world look all gloomy, I followed one of them little watery drops gliding down the window. Moving ever so slowly down the big expanse of the glassy window, almost in a most random motion, yet with a purpose. The watery sphere does not seem too bothered with any of the dirt it encounters, or any of the other little drops around it, it just is and it just moves. 

It travelled many miles, from clouds up above, to earth down below, and still it keeps on going ... and I am mesmerised by the little wet blob on my window. Translucent in colour, yet suddenly, with the help of a ray of light I see all the colours it hides, bright rainbow like colours, it's all there.

It makes me think of myself. So often people see me as a most colourful person, bringing brightness wherever I travel, bringing joy, spreading colour, for I am yellows and reds and blues and greens ... but sometimes, every so often, I am a dull grey and not to many people like grey, the hide away from the spectrum of grey, and I feel alone in my greyness ... all I need is a little beam to shine through me, to show the world the colours that are still there, in the 'overcastness' of the moment, I am still full of yellows and reds and blues and greens. Just shine your light, so I can reveal it to you, do not hide away from the grey in me (or others) but shine, so we can shine, so we can colour the world with a rainbow.