I am Wearing Shiny Pants; with anecdote.

If you are reading this, read to the end please....

I saw a part of a documentary the other day about the man who wants to build a Muslim community center two blocks from ground zero. Many have heard of this in the news. He explained that he was a business man and the buildings that were damaged after 9/11 were cheep and he figured after we rebuild that it was a wise purchase and down the road a prime location for a community center.

What impressed me was this; in the taxi cab on the way to show the camera crew the building that he purchased he talked with cab driver who was from the middle east. In the matter of a minute he asked if he was a believer in Islam, he was, he then said come with me to prayer, when was the last time you went to prayer? The driver had not been in a while but this Islamic business man knew that if he could get this driver into prayer that day he would reconnect with his faith even if misguided.

I work in a church, understand I am trying to be transparent and you can judge me if you want. But, I work in a church and talking to people about my faith does not usually come to mind when I am in a casual conversation. I share this because I believe that so many followers of Christ like myself just dont think. I can talk in front of people about Jesus with out a problem but to do it in conversation is not natural for me. When it comes down to it I dont want to offend, I dont want to stand out, I do care what people think.

Now look at how the people lived in the early church. Did any of those concerns cross their mind? Daily meeting in the temple courts, selling possessions, people would look at me like I have shiny pants on if I did that. I would also get the shiny pants look If I went to church every day. But on top of all this they were known in their community "enjoying the favor of all people."

anecdote:

I am writing this in Starbucks' just as I got done writing about, "what people might think or I might offend." I realized my coffee needed another sugar, I got up turned to grab my grande coffee and splash the coffee hits the floor and goes everywhere, the women in front of me chuckled, I turned red. I was embarrassed. Twenty seconds later the very nice people of Starbucks are mopping up my mess and are already working on another cup of coffee for me. I laugh and say, is that what it takes to get a free cup of coffee. I receive my new cup of coffee and proceed to doctor my coffee, 3 splenda, and half and half; real coffee drinkers cringe everywhere. Stir and replace lid or so I thought, slosh, more coffee on the floor. I clean up the small spill. I then set my cup on the bar where you have your creams and sugars and proceed to make sure the lid is on. I get a bit enthusiastic about securing the lid and while my cup did not spill the cup did buckle and recoil causing coffee to shoot up out of the cup and all over the floor and coffee bar. What was once a full cup of coffee is now a half cup of coffee with the rest of it everywhere else but in the cup. Now a different lady chuckles she tried to hide her laugh and I appreciate the effort she put forth to hide her laughter. I am again embarrassed. Starbuck employee; what were you drinking? Me; its ok I have enough left in this cup. They give me another coffee anyway and say, "just in case." I guess they want to increase the odds of me spilling another drink. So I now have two cups of coffee on my table, one full the other half full, three cups in total. And I am now embarrassed as if I were wearing shiny pants.

I am not saying this to be super spiritual but I felt God say.
Why are you embarrassed, why do you care what these people, who you don't know, think?

I finish with this, why worry about what others think you? You are going to embarrass yourself anyway might as well do it for the creator.

#jesusboomsauce

Created 8 months ago