Thursday, October 3, 2013

Faith in Action

The chain fell off Lilies bike, or something tragic like that, and she's having to ride the three wheeler till the bike get's fixed. I believe she was going for the rickshaw look here. She was holding the umbrella under her chin, trying to keep it over her head without falling off the bike. I suggested sticking it down the back of her pants. The handle wasn't long enough so the umbrella was sitting on her head. Needless to say, she kept on riding the bike and singing some song I couldn't make out.

Sometimes, that exactly what faith in action looks like. It can start off by a challenging mishap that throws you a little off your game. Lily just learned how to ride a bicycle this summer. Before that, she was on this three wheeled contraption. The girl can flat out ride that three wheeler! But as most of you know, the turning radius and freedom of movement is greater on a bicycle. Our mishap happened (chain fell off bike) and we kept on going, finding something else (three wheeler) to help us with our goal (riding and singing).

While our faith is in action and we are doing our thing, feeding the hungry, loving on children, helping out at the local shelter, another road block jumps up and try's to derail us. It starts to rain! 

It is much easier to drop everything and run screaming into the house, as if the rain is melting us into the asphalt. Noticing an umbrella, and a red one at that, lying by the door was the perfect boost to our faith in action. This red umbrella comes in many forms. The Bible, a friends phone call, a nap, someone else with the same goals and road blocks. It helps us get back out there.

So, have you ever road a bike with an umbrella? I know, me too, but do you remember the first time you did it? Not real graceful huh? But you kept at it, trying things like sticking the umbrella under your chin, finding someone else to help you at the shelter, loving those kids anyway!

It looked so good in our mind when we thought about it. Riding a bike and singing a song. How did it get this messed up? Wrong bike, bad weather, ungraceful feeling...I mean, come on!

When we let go of what our picture looks like, and when we allow our faith to carry us into action, we need to remember who brought us to this place to begin with and we need to keep peddling.

Have you ever rode a bike in the rain and the joy over flowed in you until you burst out into song? Or walked, or ran or drove in the rain? 

Faith is action, it's like that. It's the action that keeps on going even when the picture changes some. It's showing up, even when you think your going to melt into the asphalt or your not feeling very graceful. Next thing you know, joy jumps in your basket and your off singing that song that no one else in the whole world knows the words to.  

       

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