Fellowship Over Chicken Wings

I was the only white guy there.

Recently I went to visit an elderly lady who has poor health.  When I knocked on the door and was welcomed into home, I met about six people who were all very kind.  They were all African American, and I only knew one of them.  For a moment, we all stood there quietly and awkwardly. 

Then I noticed a plate on the table.  "Hey, are those Leo's Chicken Wings?", I asked.  One of the young men responded, "Yeah, they are.  Want one?"  I thought for half a second and said, "Sure, that sounds great!"

Then, they started passing out plates and napkins.   One of the wonderful hosts gave me a chair.  Then we all sat there together and ate chicken wings.  While we ate, we told stories, laughed, and had a blast.  It went from a silent room to a joyful place of fellowship.  I had a wonderful time with my new friends,  and I'll always remember it.

That whole experience reminded me of something important:  If we human beings will just sit down and talk with each other, we usually can find common ground and similar interests.  Though we may look different and have varying backgrounds, most of us are alike in many ways.  Most of us want our families to be ok, our bills to be paid, and our communities to be safe.  Most of us want to have purpose, hope, peace, joy, and strength.   And most of us just want to get along with our fellow man.

What I'm saying is regardless of whether we're black, white, rich, poor, Democrat, Republican, educated, uneducated, liberal, conservative, or whatever, we can usually get along with each other if we just put a little effort into it.  Let's sit and listen.  Let's try to understand each other.  And let's remember that the world will be a much happier place if we learn to calmly co-exist together.

I'm not so naive to think a plate of chicken wings is the key to world peace.  Things can be way more complex than that.  But I do believe with all my heart that if people would sit down and communicate with one another, usually some common ground will be discovered and a bond can be formed.  

Most importantly,  if we look to God, He can pull us together and make us one.  After all, when you and I both seek Him, it becomes obvious we're a lot more alike than we are different.  And that makes it easier for us to get along and work together.

The Right Kind Of Church

We've got a Presbyterian church here in our neighborhood.  It's right around the corner.  Almost daily, I pass by it in my car.  But it wasn't until last weekend I noticed something on it's sign out front.  In big letters I could see the name of the church.  But underneath, in small letters, I finally saw this little message:  "A Place Of Grace".

I don't know much about that church.  No clue who the pastor is.  No idea what the budget might be.  No guess as to how many people attend its services.  But I do know this for sure:  A place of grace is the right kind of church.

See, we're all sinners.  I know I am.  And so are you.  We've all done wrong.  We've all made poor choices.  We've all missed the mark.  But the great thing about God is He forgives us and wipes our guilt away.  He doesn't hold our wrongdoings over our head.  And He doesn't expect us to live eternally in shame.  When we confess our sins to us, He forgives.  And He treats us far better than we deserve.  That's what grace is.  And it really is an amazing thing!!

So because God shows us grace, we also need to show each other grace.  That's what a good church does.  People fail.  People do dumb things.  People make foolish decisions.  And we have a choice:  We can beat up on these people, condemn them, and kick them while they're down, OR we can love them unconditionally, offer them forgiveness, and point them to our loving God who has all the blessings they could ever want. 

The older I get, and the more life experiences I have, the more I'm a grace guy.  Yep, I'm really thankful for God's grace in my life.  I'd be lost without it!  And I really want to show grace to others.  I want to show them forgiveness, love, and help, because that's exactly what God has shown me.  And I firmly believe with all my heart that no matter who they are, where they've been, or what they've done, the church should be the one place where they're welcomed, treated with kindness, and offered a word of hope. 

So may all of our churches here in Sumter, and around the world, be places of grace.  Let's share with others what  God has shared with us.  It'll bless people more than anything else we give them.

One Day At A Time

Recently I was sitting alone in a Mexican restaurant and enjoying a delicious lunch.  When I finished my meal, I sat there quietly and started thinking about my life.  Things I needed to do.  Places I needed to go.  Issues I needed to handle.  Challenges I needed to overcome.  All of these different thoughts were going through my head.  And I found myself not wanting to get out of my booth.  It was kind of like I just wanted to stay put and hide from life a little while longer.

As I sat there, I just froze.  I started feeling overwhelmed.  My life was feeling like an uncontrollable avalanche, and I started thinking, "Man, this is just too much for me to handle."

It was at this time that the waitress walked by my table.  I suppose my face was showing how I felt on the inside because she looked at me and asked, "Hey, are you ok?"   I responded, "I'm just feeling overwhelmed with life right now."  Then she smiled and said something I'll never forget, "You just gotta live one day at a time."

Wow.

She was right, you know?!

Sometimes it can be a lot to process when we start thinking about all the things going on in our lives.  Things can begin to feel like a bit much.  The big picture can be overwhelming.

But when we live one day at a time, we're just calmly taking one small step after another. And we're not worrying about crossing bridges we haven't even approached yet.  Rather than stressing over the multiple issues we must address in our lives, we're instead dealing with a single issue right here and right now.  That's a little easier to manage, you know?!

When that waitiress said that, I was encouraged.  The dark clouds started drifting away and sunshine re-enetered my heart.  And I felt energized.  So I got up, paid the bill, left her a tip, headed out the door, and got back to work.  Simply put, my day was changed when I was reminded of that very important lesson.

Are you feeling overwhelmed with your life?  If so, let me assure you that we all feel that way at times.  You're not alone.  It happens.  But the good news is this:  You can find peace of mind.  Look to God and whisper a prayer.  Accept the fact that yesterday is over and tomorrow hasn't even arrived yet.  And decide to focus solely on today.  When you do this, you're living one day at a time.  And doing that will make your life so much calmer and better.

Just Like The Old Man

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.  Others have had the same experience in their own lives.  And I reckon it's probably inevitable.  What am I talking about?  Well, it's simply this:  I'm turning into my dad.

Seriously.  I'm noticing it in a few areas here and there.  And my kids are pointing it out to me at times too.

It's not that I'm trying to do this.  And I'm certainly not opposed to it either.  But it's just happening naturally without me thinking about it.

For instance....

It seems that daily I'm walking around my house and turning off lights that kids leave on.  "We're running up the power bill around here people", I'll announce loud enough for everyone to hear.  Dad did that.

Last night I was sitting on the couch watching a PBS documentary about South Carolina wildlife.  My oldest daughter, Katie, said, "You're watching that?  Wow, you're turning into Wade Richardson for sure."  See, Dad watches that kind of stuff all the time.

When my son, Emerson, pours a glass of milk and only drinks half of what he poured, I'll say, "Come on, man, you're wasting money right there."  Dad said that to me quite often about drinks and food when I was growing up in his house.  He'd always say, "Take what you want, but eat what you take." 

I like to drive with my knees and back into parking spaces.  Dad does that.

I listen to Garrison Keillor's "Tales Of Lake Wobegon" and enjoy every second of it.  Does does that.

I enjoy science fiction movies and quirky comedies.  Dad does that.

And I find myself caring less and less about what other people think of me.  Dad really does that!!

These are just some of the many things I and others have noticed.  And maybe you're going through the same thing.  It seems like a lot of us somewhat turn into a version of our parents.  I've heard plenty of women say, "Wow, I'm turning into my mom."  So yeah, it's kind of a common thing.

But you know what I've noticed?  The greatest person we can become more like ... is God.  He's our Heavenly Father, and if we become like him, that's a game changer. 

I like what Paul wrote here in Ephesians 5:1-2  -- "Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love."  Did you see that?  We're really becoming more and more like God when we love.  In other words, when we treat people right, we're "imitators" of our Heavenly Father.

Do you want to become more like your Heavenly Dad?  Then try loving on people.  Be patient with folks who are difficult.  Be forgiving towards those who royally mess up.  Be helpful to those who are in need.  Be encouraging to those who are down in the dumps.  Just treat people right.

Don't be so doggone critical, harsh, cruel, bitter, impatient, cold, and difficult.  That's not love.  And that's nothing like God.  There's already too much of that stuff in the world, and we'd be better off with less of it.  Choose a better way!!  Choose love.  Treat people right.  Be a blessing to folks.  Make days better for others.  When you do that, people will see a reflection of God shining in you.  And their lives will be better off because of it.

Yep, it's a simple fact of life:  We're most like the Heavenly Father when we love people.  So let's do that today, with His help from above.  Loving on folks will make the world a better place.  And it'll help others see what God is really like.