Crossin Wedding

My cool-to-tell parking lot story

I found a  recipe for Banana Pudding Cake on Pinterest and decided I wanted to make it.  This is weird for me.  If you know me you're already thinking "this is a weird story."  I'm not a kitchen person, but I was inspired to try it.

As I pulled into Shop n Save the song "Alabaster Box" began to play on my Kirk Franklin XM station.  I love this song.  Most of the time when I hear it I just weep because of the message.  I felt something nudge me to pull into one of the parking spots near the back and just enjoy the song.  I thought as I did it "oh man!  God's about to show up in this car and I'm gonna have one of 'those moments.'"  Thinking I was about to have one of those cool-to-tell parking lot stories I put the car in park and closed my eyes.  I listened.  Eyes got teary.  No sobbing or overwhelming presence of God.

The song ended and I just thanked God for His grace & mercy.  Like the song says "you don't know the cost of the oil in my alabaster box."  I felt a fresh thankfulness and boldness to praise Him.  But still nothing super spectacular.  Nothing like I expected.  So I put it in drive, found a spot near the door, parked and went in to get the ingredients I needed.

Got the wafers, pudding, and cake mix that I needed and headed down to the milk area where I figured there would be the Cool Whip I needed.  I helped a little girl return an item to the top shelf.  Then I saw him.  I recognized him.  But I couldn't think how. 

Where is the Cool Whip?  Shouldn't it be with dairy? 
Turned around and nearly bumped into him.  I smiled.  Then I remembered.  He stopped by the church one morning.  Is his name Tom? 

Cool Whip isn't with cream cheese either.  Where is it?! 
He used to attend APC in the 80's and early 90's.  He's got cancer.  That's right...I remember him now.

Oh yeah, I need a FROZEN tub of Cool Whip...it's with the ice cream.  Found it!  Time to check out.

Of course, if you have the choice definitely use the self-checkout.  You can live the childhood dream of running barcodes over the scanner without having to stay for an 8-hour shift. 

All paid...ready to go.  Headed for the door.  There he is in lane 4.  His milk.  His Prairie Farms vanilla ice cream.  His case of Guinness.  And his cancer.

"Amber, you're having a Miracle Sunday this weekend.  Slow down.  Invite him." 
"But I need to get home.  I've got Cool Whip in the bag.  Kristy is waiting."

I continue with steady steps to my car.  Got through the electronic sliding doors before the voice spoke again.  "He needs Miracle Sunday."  Then the other voice "He probably won't remember you.  Think how awkward that will be." 

Take left towards the car.

Unlock.  Ingredients in the backseat.  Start the car.  I reason that "if he walks out before I pull out, I'll wait.  But only if he's parked kinda near me."

When he cleared the electronic sliding doors and headed left my comfort zone started to get nervous.  When he opened the back hatch of the car next to mine I had no excuse.

Is that a Miracle Sunday invite card in my back seat?!  Sure is.  I grabbed it and got out of the car.

"Hello!"
"Hi" as he continues to unlock his car.
"I think I remember you.  You stopped by our church not long ago and spoke with my dad.  We prayed for your cancer situation."
"Bro. Willeford's church."
"Yeah, that's the one.  How are you doing?"
"Not good.  The cancer has progressed.  It won't be long now."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"I still remember Steve's sermon 'It Started With a Look' about Abraham and Lot.  I think about it a lot.  Just a glance at sin will take you farther than you intend."
"That's true.  But I think the opposite is also true.  Just one look towards God can start something good in your life."
"Oh yeah, that's definitely true."
"Yes, sir."
"Oh, it's Gary, you don't have to call me sir."
Gary.  That's right. Not Tom.
"Well, Gary, we're having a Miracle service this Sunday. [hands him an invite card] I believe God can heal you.  It's services that are focused on faith and God doing the impossible."
"I believe God heals, too."
"You should come.  We'd love to have you.  I know my dad would be so excited to see you again."
"I take so much morphine for pain I can hardly get out much.  But I'll see if my son can come with me."
"I hope you can.  It was good to see you."
"You, too.  See ya."

Got in the car.  Eyes got teary.  "Thank you, Lord, for that opportunity."  Reverse.  Pull out of parking spot.  Drive.  Exiting parking lot.  "Thank you for stopping me to listen to that song.  Thank you for my front row spot...that had an empty spot next to it at the time.  Thank you for delaying me with 'Alabaster Box' so I could cross Gary's path."

I thought the cool-to-tell parking lot story was gonna be a lot different.  The God-moment wasn't for me to receive, but to give.  I thought I'd have a serious prayer meeting moment where God's presence is so thick you could cut it with a knife.  But it didn't happen that way.

The moment wasn't for me.  It was for Gary.  Instead of a chance to feel Jesus, I got a chance to touch like Jesus did.  Rather than hear Him, I got to speak for Him.

At Shop n' Save no less.  I thought I was there for Banana Pudding Cake ingredients.  But I was there for Gary.  As if God was saying "You shop n' I'll save."

I'm glad to tell you the cake turned out great.  It's delicious.  I'll also be glad to tell you when Gary shows up and God heals his body AND his soul.

Mission: Possible

You know how it starts.  He's in a remote location.  Where he can't possibly be found.  Except he is.  The sleek all-black (because sleek comes in no other color) helicopter flies past and shoots a hissing canister his direction.

Out of this canister comes the techy-est pair of sunglasses known to man.  He peers through them and processes information about a "bad guy" with a bad plan.  The information comes to an end and you hear these words: "your mission should you choose to accept it" followed by a brief description of the mission.  One part that has always disturbed me in the sunglass report is when his superior says “and, as always, should you or any member of your team be killed or captured, the agency will disavow any knowledge of your actions.”

Of course, he always accepts the mission.  Otherwise that would be a really boring movie.

The point is: he has a choice to accept the mission. 

We, too, have been given a mission.  There was no sleek helicopter.  No mission-giving, self-destructing sunglasses.  But it was no less spectacular.  11 disciples on a mountain and 1 Resurrected Savior presenting a mission to “Save the World.” 

So your mission should you choose to accept it is:  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” 

It is my mission to “Save the World.”  The world I live in.  The people I meet.  My family.    Those that stop me in Target to ask if I’m Pentecostal.  The diseased stranger that lays in the hospital room next to my loved one.  The repairman that strikes up a conversation.  The grieving mother in the waiting room.  The co-worker that shares their heartache in the break room over Dr. Pepper and peanut butter crackers.  The friend in class whose world was turned upside down by divorce.

In those moments I have a choice to ACCEPT the mission or to do everything EXCEPT the mission.

The mission doesn’t require me to give a Biblical dissertation of Oneness Theology.  Nor does it expect me to harshly expose their sin.  The mission starts with love.  It starts with being what Christ would be and showing them the God-option.  I begin my mission when I share God’s love.

So study your mission-manual (Bible) and be alert to those around you.  Be an agent of God’s love.  A soldier of mercy.  And your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to save the world.

'Twas the day before Thanksgiving

 

'Twas the day before Thanksgiving
And in the bathroom
I sat unaware of the imminent doom.

The TP was hung on the holder with care.
It doesn't matter the tube was actually bare.

My hair was wild with that morning look
With eyes half open I scrolled through Facebook.
With Kristy at work and I just awake
I'd just sat down for a bathroom break.

When what to my half open eyes should appear
But a creature was moving on the wall oh so near.

He had legs galore and a plump little bodice
He moved stealthily, he was not a creeping novice.

With just as much stealth I concluded my business
And fled to the hall to gather my senses.

I ran to the kitchen to get the bug spray
And returned to the hall to mutter and pray

Armed only with spray, no camo or shoe
Oh tanks! oh grenades! I could really use you.

With a check on the monster I eased by the door
I sprayed and I prayed and he hopped to the floor.

I sprang to the hall to retreat for a second
But the monster he followed, now war he had beckoned.

I screamed not a squeal, but went straight to my work
I sprayed him some more
This plump hopping jerk.

I began to wonder if this spray was the ticket
To kill, to demolish, my foe, Camel Cricket.

But after about a 10-second spray
He made one final leap
And on the floor dead he lay.

With one eye on the creature I backed into my room
I acquired a shoe to be sure of his doom.

His death now confirmed I grabbed a Kleenex
And scooped him up and flushed him to rest.

And I thought to myself as he spun out of sight
"The world must know -- I have fought a good fight."

Some thoughts on grace. . .

I'm so glad God is not at all like me. 

In light of how holy He is and how "not holy" I am, I really don't deserve...well, anything. 

Well, that's not true.  I do deserve some things.  Things like punishment.  Abandonment.  Judgment.  Pain.  Rejection.  Loss.  (gulp)  Death.

Yet, He gives to me.  The opposite of what I deserve. 

Why?

Grace.

Grace allows God to be:

near though He should be far.

a friend when He should be an enemy.

for me though He should be against me.

loving when He should be hateful.

kind when He should be rude.

listening though He should be ignoring.

reaching when He should be resisting.

accepting though He should be shunning.

forgiving when He should be rejecting.

helping when He should be disgusted.

giving though He should be withholding.

abundant when He should be restricting.

teaching when He should be punishing.

close though He should be distant.

pursuing when He should be disregarding.


God is not at all like me.  But I am trying to be like Him.

God is no good at hide 'n' seek

God is really good at being God.  He’s a good Creator.  He’s good at saving.  He does a good job healing sick folks.  But He’s not very good at hide‘n’ seek.  Because the point of hide ‘n’ seek is to not be found.  So you find the most remote place…under a bed, in a closet, under a desk, behind some pillows…and just hope your presence isn’t obvious.  That’s why I say God’s not very good at hide ‘n’ seek.  Oh, He could be.  Afterall, He’s the God who created the universe.  He knows the best hiding spots.  He could seclude Himself in some unexplored galaxy.  Or hermit himself on an undiscovered planet.  He could bury Himself in the Marianas Trench, but He hasn’t chosen to do that.  He has made Himself findable.

 

He said this about Himself in Isaiah 45:19 “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain…”  And this in Jeremiah 29:13-14  “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.  And I will be found ofyou, saith the LORD…”

 

God WANTS to be found.  He hasn’t made it difficult for us.  It’s as simple as whispering His name.  There is no list of to-do’s or confusing equations to work out before He can be found.  It’s as simple as breathing a prayer and He comes rushing to your side.  You’ve had those experiences when you’ve needed Him in a split second.  Maybe it was as your car was running off the road and all you had time to do was speak (or scream) His name.  He didn’t demand that you perform a checklist or be in a certain location or frame of mind.  He responded to the simple mention of His name.  You sought Him and He was found.

Yeah, yeah.  That sounds great, Amber.  But what about those times that I’m really needing an answer or provision and I can’t feel Him?  Well, thanks for asking.  When our answers seem 10,000 miles away it’s human to begin to believe that God is also that far away.  Perhaps it’s an unfulfilled promise, an unsaved loved one, an unhealed sickness.  And while, yes, it is true that these “solutions” are provided by God, just because these answers are not present with us does not mean that the God who holds them is absent from us.   We can’t find the answer, so we feel that we can’t find God either.  My encouragement to you is don’t allow an obscure solution cause you to doubt God’s obvious presence.  

If we are seeking a solution, but all the while convincing ourselves we are seeking God, we will become frustrated and disappointed.  However, if we will truly seek God, He said He would allow us to find Him.  He didn’t promise an immediate answer, but He did promise an immediate attendance.  

 

My advice…that you didn’t ask for…would be “just seek Him.”  Or perhaps more clearly worded as “seek just Him.”  Only Him.  Don’t seek the answer.  Don’t seek the solution.  Don’t seek the miracle or the blessing.  Just seek Him!  The Him I’m referring to said these words “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”  And He said if we would seek "I will be found of you."  Proving that God is just no good at hide 'n' seek.

Clarks

Jared is about to join the Army...he leaves Tuesday.  So we grabbed some family photos with him before he leaves.  He is the life of the party, always ready with a joke and a smile.  His energy is second to none.  We will miss him, but know that he will do great in this next adventure.