There’s always something about learning new skills that is scary and exciting at the same time. Mostly scary. The other week, I was attempting to fix the garbage disposal and had a bit of mishap. It was scary. But in the end, everyone learned something in that moment.
I learned to be more clear in what I say. Nathan learned to listen better. Parker learned how to fix a disposal and untangle his mother from under the sink. Ardis learned to be the supportive and caring person by bringing her mom some ice.
I truly believe that we always are learning something.
And I also truly believe that the church has forgotten over many many years how to tell our story. But there’s good news for that. Dawn Darwin Weaks writes in her book Breakthrough:
“God is all about the too old, the too late, and the too dead. … it’s when things look bleak that God’s powerful love is easiest to see at work.”
Things look rather bleak for us some days. From the deficit in the budget to the often times dwindling numbers on the membership rolls to the dwindling numbers in the pews every week. But as Dawn reminds us, this is often when God’s love is easiest to see.
Why? Because we’re looking for it. Desperately.
Why? Because we’re here to soak it up and learn from it.
One of the things that I firmly believe we need to learn is how to share our stories. Why are we Christians? Why are we faithful to this institution? Why do we make the church and faith and God a priority in our lives?
Once we understand that, once we spend time thinking about it and seeing God’s powerful love at work in our lives. It’s so much easier to share those stories with others. It’s time we trust God. It’s time we get together to learn something new.