Tuesday, April 2, 2013

It's not quantum mechanics people...

Deuteronomy 30:11 [NIV]
Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.  It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?"

Life can be so complicated!  We are husbands and wives, parents and grandparents, siblings and children, aunts and uncles.  We work and work and work.  We go to school and the gym and to the movies with friends.  We have hobbies and extracurricular activities and support groups and meetings.  The list goes on and on and on...  We are also Disciples.  We go to church and home group and leaders meetings and parenting workshops and marriage retreats.  We have devo time and discipleship time and game nights and double dates.

Being a Disciple can be complicated too... but it doesn't have to be.  Sometimes I find myself feeling like a secret Christian.  I haven't quite found my courage to regularly and openly share my faith with some friends, let alone random strangers.  Part of this fear is due to the fact that I don't feel like I know enough yet about the Bible to act the part. 

Last night at the parenting workshop, Joel (our Minister) walked over to the couch as more and more new faces were walking in the door and encouraged us to get up, greet these new people and welcome them to the church.  Inside, I panicked a little bit.  But I got up and started walking around.  First, I mingled with some fellow Disciples and members of the church, because that was safe.  My second attempt was botched by another more courageous Disciple who beat me to the sweet looking lady in the 4th row.  Then I spotted them.  A nice looking couple that had just walked in and sat toward the back.  I was drawn to them.  They reminded me of Ryan and I on our first day at the church...

We sat in the back and waited for everyone to come to us.  But we didn't have to wait long!  We smiled and talked a lot about Rowen, but I know we were both nervous.  Slowly but surely, we moved up a row after a couple of weeks.  Then a few more rows after a month.  The encouragement and love of our new family got us moving in the right direction.

This couple smiled as I walked up and we shook hands.  I introduced myself and asked if they had been invited by someone at our church.  The wife said that she actually subscribes to Kirk's Celebrate Calm newsletter and saw he was going to be in town.  Her and her husband attend Faith Church in Lansing.  We talked a little about our churches and I thanked them for coming.  Phew!  That wasn't so bad... 

I have been mulling over this blog post since last Wednesday.  During our women's service, Beth (Joel's wife) encouraged us to get rid of the complication in our lives.  We need to trust in God and believe that nothing is too difficult for us to accomplish.  Everything God tells us is really quite simple.  If we believe in Him, trust in Him, live through Him, share Him, obey Him, love Him, and keep both our feet planted firmly in Him, it's not complicated at all.

Now quantum mechanics on the other hand...