Whew! Labor Day was just that—Labor. Our church hosted the annual Maui County Baptist Association Labor Day Picnic. Congratulations to the folks from Lana'i Baptist Church who worked hard to put up tables, pack coolers of ice, cut and haul firewood, man (and "woman") the grills, and serve their brothers and sisters in Christ from Maui County Baptist churches. Not a small order for a church our size. But we all learned again the value of service. Labor done in the spirit of Christ's love is a joy.
About 125 people from churches around our association ferried over from Maui to spend the day on one of Hawaii's loveliest beaches—Hulopo'e Beach on Lana'i. God was kind to give us perfect weather and perfect water. People brought delicious food, beach chairs, ukeleles, and the aloha spirit. It was a great day.
Every Wednesday morning our church prepares and feeds breakfast to any child (and parent) who wishes to drop by on their way to school. It's a small but growing service to the youth of our island. As the children arrive, a few of us sit down with them in a room and read Scripture and pray with them. The last ones to come this morning was a young mom carrying her baby boy and accompanying her first-grade daughter. We talked story for a few minutes to develop our friendship, then I read a passage from Lamentations about God's unfailing love that is fresh every new day. After the reading, I asked how I might pray for their family. The first-grader responded: "Oh, I have one; that my daddy will stop taking care of his plants and take care of us." My heart sank.
I couldn't have expressed the problems in this world—or at least the world I live in—better than this seven-year-old little girl. Most issues in life can be boiled down to one—selfishness. Here is a daddy with a sweet family. I looked in the deep brown eyes and engaging smile, a hole where she recently lost a tooth making the smile even more appealing. I glanced at Mom and saw a stream of tears welling up in the corner of each eye. I can't imagine being infatuated with plants at the expense of a child and a family. I am also impressed that this little girl understands the depth of her circumstances better than her daddy. And I am heartbroken.
The Father, whose love is unfailing and fresh every new day, has turned the child's prayer request over and over in my mind and heart. He has convicted me, from the mouth of a babe, to explore any hint of selfishness that robs the ones I love and who love me of the precious prize of compassionate care.
When I was a kid one of my favorite programs was ABC's "Wide World of Sports." Each show began with film clips of various sporting events from all over the world as the narrator explained how ABC's sports was "spanning the globe" to bring its viewers the best in sports entertainment. One Saturday, it might be antelope hunting in Wyoming; the next, curling in Norway; the next, ski jumping in France. I loved that show.
Today I finished two days of meetings as a member of the Credentials Committee of the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention. We interviewed leaders from four churches who are petitioning membership in the convention. These four are from the Hawaiian islands, but the work of our convention spans the Pacific Ocean. We have work in American Samoa, Okinawa, Guam, and soon in Japan and Korea. Our Executive Director showed us a map of our the Pacific and where our work is located. Our impact in God's kingdom certainly does span the globe.
I'm reminded of the prophet's words to Judah in Isaiah 54:2-3. "Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities." (NLT)
What a wide, world of ministry God has given us.
This morning I read from Isaiah 51 and found verse 1 highly inspirational: "…Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were dug." (HCSB)
This has all kinds of implications for my life: who I am; where I belong; to whom I belong; the grain of my life; the very core of me. Various "rock" images in the Bible come to my mind. God is the Rock of our salvation (Dt. 32:15). God is my Rock, my fortress, and deliverer (Ps. 18:2). Jesus is the Cornerstone (1 Pet. 2:6,7). And as a follower of Christ, I am a "living stone" (1 Pet. 2:5). From a rock, God gushed water to His thirsty people (Ex. 17:6). On a rock called Golgotha, Jesus died for my sins (Matt. 27:33). The Romans placed a large rock over the mouth of Jesus' grave, but God removed it at Jesus' resurrection.
The Rock from which I'm cut is strong, selfless, eternal, redemptive. And I am not alone. I was dug from a quarry. There are other "living stones" with whom I live and serve.
