Jump Start # 3676

1 Thessalonians 5:14 “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

  I write this on a Wednesday morning. It is a specular fall day in Indiana. The sky is a vibrant blue. There are no clouds in the sky. The leaves are beginning to turn color. The air is cool and very calm. It’s a wonderful day here in Hoosier land. But as I write this, a massive hurricane is nearing the Florida coast. It is already raining heavily in that state. By nightfall, the winds will howl and water will bring destruction upon the beaches and many homes in that state. I have many friends in Florida. It is amazing that things can be so nice here and so many are running for their lives there. Calm here. Destructive there. Wonderful here. Life threatening there. All of this at the same time.

And, that contrast in weather reminds us of a greater contrast that runs through our congregations. We walk into the church building, with a smile on our faces, feeling good and looking forward to praising the Lord we love so much. Calm and wonderful could describe our state of mind, emotions and heart. Someone else walks in, and they are not cheerful. Their heart is full of fear. A loved one lies in the hospital and the end is near. For someone else, it’s an intense and even angry look upon his face. He’s had it at work. He is so tried of being overlooked, mistreated and taken advantage of. In the morning, he will give his two week notice. How will he take care of his family, he contemplates. Numbers are racing through his mind and he is thinking about what options he has. A mother walks in on a Sunday morning, and she has the look of worry on her face. She doesn’t want to admit it, but deep inside she thinks her son is using drugs. There are too many signs and too many things that just don’t add up. How will she handle this, she wonders. Someone else walks in, and they are afraid of God. They have made terrible choices and they fear that they will not be welcomed. How could God forgive someone like me, this person thinks.

Calm and beautiful in Indiana and stormy and destructive in Florida. What an important lesson for us:

First, not everyone who steps into the church building on Sunday is in a good mood or even wants to be there. It’s easy to assume that everyone feels the way I feel. The weather in one part of the country is not the same in another part, at the same time. Later in the year, as we will be freezing our giblets here in Indiana, it will be short sleeve weather in Florida.

Some walk into the church building confused and uncertain about things. Some walk in with a chip on their shoulder. Some are scared. Some are happy. Some don’t feel well. Some hurt, in their joints and in their soul.

Bubbly, cheerful and over the top happy, can annoy and irritate those who are experiencing a storm in their lives. There can be some jealousy taking place. Be sensitive to the pains of others.

Second, be careful with what you say. Remember Job’s friends sat for a week and didn’t say anything. That’s one of the best things that we can do. Silence can be golden. Telling someone to “snap out of it,” is likely to get a snappy response in return. Just handing someone a verse doesn’t solve all the problems they are facing. For many of these situations, it is a journey and that journey can be long.

You can tell someone that you are glad that they are there. You can invite them to sit with you. You can ask them if they would like to go out to eat with you. Be ready to accept a decline in the offer and don’t pressure them to change their minds. Give them some space. If they accept, you pay their bill, because you invited them, and you don’t spend the meal talking about yourself or the problems you have had. Let them lead. If they want to talk about something else, follow that. If they want to talk about the issues in their life, listen, be kind, be helpful.

Third, remember the golden rule. The next time, it might be you who are the one who is not feeling so great. There may be storm clouds building in your life. What would you want others to do for you? Think about that. And, always pray.

Sunny in Indiana and stormy in Florida. I’ve never experienced a hurricane. We have tornados. They are destructive, but they move fast and most times, narrow in their paths. I’ve never had to evacuate. What to take, what to leave behind, what hard choices. I’ve never left, wondering if my house would be there when I returned. I don’t have hurricane experience to my repertoire. Likewise, I have never buried a child. I have never experienced a divorce. I have never been laid off. I may not understand the fear or the pain that someone else is going through. It may be hard for me to imagine. But I can and should care. I should listen. I should be there if they need me.

We may not experience the same weather, but we can sympathize, pray and be concerned for those who are enduring storms. This is true of our weather and it is true of life. Knowing that others are there is a comfort and a peace that helps. Knowing that the Lord is near, is the greatest peace.

Sunny and stormy…what lessons we can learn.

Roger