Sunday, January 28, 2007

Dearest God,

What a day! A beautiful day! Talk about spirit! We blew the roof off the house at Bethel! Goodbye, little church in the wildwood! Hello, We're in the News to Help Others Church! Goodbye, little ideas! Hello, The Sky's the Limit!

The church was abuzz (new word) yesterday! The spiritual energy was bouncing from wall to wall. No darkness there! The light was shining, brightly! I walked in the door and could feel it! People greeted me, having seen the article in the paper. They were excited about soup, the hungry, my outrageous promises...painting my face and hair blue, cheers for the Colts, running a pass, doing a dance.

Even the kids are involved! I stood in the lounge when a mom said to her two young children, "Would you like to buy 100 cans of soup so you can paint Rev. Andrea's hair?" The kids nodded yes. Then she turned to me, "How would you feel about my children painting your hair?" "Great!" I responded. (I hadn't thought of children doing the deeds. But why not? If things don't turn out well, with my body that is, I can always get my head shaved and my body turpentined later.) So what if my skin is red and raw next week?

Feeding lots and lots of hungry people, my heart does flips thinking about it. A simple idea, silly activities motivating people to help others. We have it in us. We really do care! And we're doing it together as a community. And having fun. And laughing. What could be better!

And God is with us! God's idea! God's energy! God's anticipation! God's willingness! God's love! It will be God's story! Get the plan? It's all about God!

When this all started, two colleagues, friends were sitting at a table eating lunch with me. A little idea emerged and the energy that has erupted since then has been phenomenal! People don't get excited about helping people on their own. It is God inside their skin! God traveling through the voice box sharing the truly Good News! God bursting from hearts!

I went to the hospital following the worship services. Saw two of my favorite people, one 86 and the other 95. Really sick! But I loved visiting with them, telling them about the church!

Then my hubby and I went to lunch at La Peep's. As I was paying my bill, I mentioned something about their Colts decor. That lead me to share about our soup effort to feed the hungry. A man and woman next in line to pay their bill said, "I know you. You were in the paper. You're going to "Pack the Pews". How much soup are you hoping to collect?" "One thousand cans!" I responded. "Wow! Good luck! I hope you make it!" He told me. We smiled as they walked out the door. Then the assistant manager said, "Do you plan to come for breakfast next week? We could collect soup all week and you can pick it up on Sunday." "You betcha I can come for breakfast." (She probably didn't know I would arrive with blue face and hair!"

Easy, it's all come so easy. No pushing or shoving! It's God, all the way through, opening doors and windows and hearts.

And last night as I crawled into my bed, I listened to a voice mail from our youth director. Our youth had gone door to door in nearly 0 degree weather asking for soup. They collected forty seven cans. That means we already have 126 cans! We're going to make our goal of 1,000 cans! Why? Because God deems it so! For the hungry, for Bethel, for faith, for lifting the lid on mission work!

I'm overwhelmed, blown away by the energy around this mission project. And all because God is in it.

Whoosh through our veins,
filling us with more of you,
Generous God.
Fill us to overflowing!
Let us burst at the seams
with more of you.
Make us witnesses of faith!
Give us the capacity to tell the story!
Your story, of course.
Make us willing
to do anything you ask!
For your story
is the only story
worth telling!
Our own stories fade
in the face of YOUR STORY!
Thanks for allowing us
to be the storytellers.
Thanks for entrusting us
with the cosmos' greatest story.
Thanks
for all the love
going 'round.
You,
that's what we're sharing,
You!

Eternally grateful, Andrea