Not Really

Have you ever dreamed of a white Halloween? I haven’t, not really. But this year two days before Halloween, we got blanketed by a rogue Nor’easter. The kind of snow, the consistency of a Slurpee, that clings to the leaves, branches and electric wires and creates some real havoc. 

We were one of the thousands of families that the storm had left without electric. So the obvious question asked by family and friends was, "is your power back on yet?" Then it was followed up by, "that must be terrible to be without electricity."

Some initial anxieties I had about having enough food,. heat and being in the dark never really materialized. Being without electric for a week was enlightening and made me realize how truly blessed we are.
 
I believe a normal concern most of would have when you lose power is, "will there be enough food?" If you've ever met me in person, immediately you would notice that I could afford to shed a few pounds. So when the fridge and stove were not working, I did have a thought about food. But, between the food in the cupboards, eating out a few times, and being invited over to eat on several other occasions we were just fine. I might have even gained a little weight.

Most of us would be a little apprehensive about not having heat and it was a thought. But, between you and me, we are trying to conserve our oil anyway. In essence, the storm did us a favor to an extent. It was quite chilly some mornings, but during the day there was more than enough sun to keep the temperature comfortable. We subscribed to the theory of putting on an extra sweater or pair of socks and at night we threw more blankets on the bed. So being without heat may not have been my ideal, but was it bad? Not really.

My last concern was being in the dark. I believe being in the dark was a good opportunity for me to empathize, just a little, with my third daughter who is visually impaired. As a light dependent person, I have grown accustomed to slipping on the lights when entering a room. So I cheated and used a camping latern and occasionally felt my way through the dark. And there is nothing like whacking my shin on the end table as a remind of how spoiled I am. So is being in the dark a big deal, not really.

What we experienced for a week was simply a matter of inconvenience, not life or death. We often take for granted our modern day conveniences; like the fridge to keep our food cold, the lights that go on when we flip that switch, and the computer to work so we can check our e-mails. And when those conveniences are taken away, we complain and cry woe is me. Should it be that way? Not really.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

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More Than Expected

On October 6^th, 2011 my family and I volunteered to help out Show Hope at a Steven Curtis Chapman concert and experienced far more than what we had signed up for.

The concert, Stories and Songs, was held in Lancaster, PA and featured special guests, Josh Wilson and Andrew Peterson. Our job was to help at the Show Hope table by handing out information to anyone who was interested in learning more about what they do and to assist those who wanted to become sponsors. For those who are not familiar with Show Hope, it an organization started by Steven and his wife, Mary Beth, to help others adopt by way of grants and providing orphans with much needed medical care. The video below explains more about Show Hope.

 

Much to our surprise, since we recently received a grant from Show Hope, we were privileged to meet Steven on stage. This was just the cherry on the top because that evening we experienced far more than we had bargained for.

Here are the 3 things I took away from our experience:

1 - If we can, we need to love and help the orphans.

When we arrived at the concert we met our contact, whose name was Dave Trask. He used to be Steven’s manger and he was quite the guy. Now, he spends his time representing Show Hope and coordinating medical teams to go to China to perform lifesaving surgeries on the children at Maria’s Big House of Hope. He talked fast, moved fast and made things happened. He seemed to thrive well in organized chaos. But, what struck me most about him was how he truly loved the orphans.

Case in point, at the concert was a boy who had been at Maria’s Big House of Hope and had just recently been adopted to a family here in the States. Dave couldn’t stop hugging him and talking to him like he was his own. It was moving. He even took him back to see Steven and was holding him on stage when we met Steven as part of the concert. Some people, talk about loving the least of these, Dave was doing it.

2 - We need to show compassion to others, even total strangers.

Throughout the evening Dave very openly shared with the group about his own life and what he had been through. Then in a one on one conversation he talked to my wife about our personal tragedy and showed tremendous compassion to her. My wife is a very private person yet here she is telling intimate details with a stranger, about something that hurt her deeply. It touched me greatly to see and hear such compassion. Again, so many people talk about caring, but there at that concert we saw it.

3 - We need to show others Jesus in how we act.

After the concert was over and we were done cleaning up, we went to leave and that is when I really saw something unexpected. Out on the sidewalk was Andrew Petersen, one of the artists on the tour, sitting cross legged singing one of his songs with about eight people gathered around him. It just struck me like something Jesus would have done. He was ministering to people’s souls, not putting on a show. It was so intimate that I kept walking not wanting to disturb something so cool.

Sometimes, God just blesses the socks off of us and all we can do is sit back and enjoy it.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress..." James 1:27

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