‘Twas another interesting week.
Thursday evening I had the great blessing of being restaurant background music.
Maybe that needs a little explanation.
It wasn’t exactly a restaurant. It was better.
I got acquainted a few months ago with an amazing ministry here in Amarillo. No Boundaries International is a ministry primarily focused on those who have been affected by the trauma of sex trafficking.
Once a week, they open their doors to feed people in their community. People get groceries for the week, a meal for the evening, and a loving group of people to let them know they matter.
On any given Thursday, there may be prostitutes, pimps, strippers, homeless, poor, children, aged, mentally challenged.
One thing they all have in common is that, for a couple of hours on Thursday evenings, they are treated as precious, loved, valued image-bearers.
For the two hours they were open, I stood and sang music of hope and healing through Jesus.
No preaching. No focus on the stage. No big moments. No introduction.
Just a guitar, a keyboard, and a voice in the background.
I’ve spent a lot of my life being the guy “up front.” I’m ok with that. I enjoy the opportunities and I pray that I’ll make the most of them to focus on Jesus.
But sometimes it’s really, really good to be just a guy supporting those who are on the front lines of living like Jesus.
This morning’s verse that stuck out for me was Zechariah 10:2 –
“Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.”
Two thoughts occur to me: Shepherding takes (1) time and patience to build trust and (2) a peaceful, non-anxious spirit to lead the sheep to safety and flourishing.
It behooves those who have been given shepherding responsibilities to cooperate with and demonstrate the character of the Good Shepherd.
My hymn text for today is a simple song by Carol Cymbala – “Make Us One.”
“Make us one, Lord, make us one; Holy Spirit, make us one. Let Your love flow so the world will know we are one in You.”
We cannot have too many reminders that followers of Jesus are to be known more by our love than our politics, theology, or outrage.
To clarify: love does not eliminate those things; it supersedes them.
There are many troubling and outrageous things going on in the world.
It serves no good purpose for me to publicly share what outrages me, so I do my best to avoid that.
Let’s lean into loving like Jesus.
Be amazing today, my friend.
