Clay in the Hands

As I stood at the door and shook hands and hugged necks after our service this past week, I was trying to acknowledge each person as they left the building to go BE the church in the community.  It is always a challenge to try and make eye contact with each person as they are trying to hustle out to beat the crowd to the local restaurants.

As I was in the midst of this frenzy, I noticed a 6 year old little girl making her way through the crowd – around an elderly gentleman and through a young family – she was on a mission.  Her eyes were locked on me and nothing was going to stand in her way or slow her down.

I was moved by her resolve and so when she finally made her way to me, I knelt down to one knee to talk to her.  She looked me in the eye and smiled and then stuck out her hand with a pink index card for me to take.  All she said was, “This is for you.”  She stood there a couple of seconds and then she was gone.  I looked at the card and then, being pressed to continue my smiling and hugging, stuck it in my pocket without much thought.

After lunch, I returned to my office to get some work done and as I sat down at my desk, I noticed the card still in my pocket.  I removed it and laid it on my desk.  As I looked at that card, I became overwhelmed by the realization that a child, in her innocence and sincerity, had just shared with me her experience for that day in church.  And her experience was the fulfillment of our goal as a ministry team.

You see, when we gather to worship each week, our goal as a ministry team is to create an environment in which people are moved to shift their focus from themselves and their lives and focus, at least for a little while, on God.  God is always with us but we seldom notice.  Our hope is to help people experience God in fresh ways each and every week.  All of us get busy.  We don’t always take time to truly meet God.  But when we do, transformation begins to take place.

That is why, each and every week, our heart is to give people the opportunity to say, “I wuz with God.”

And from the heart of a 6 year old, we got it right.  Now that is motivation to try again this week!