MESSAGES
I don’t
know about you, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed by messages. Sometimes they are on my answering machine,
sometimes in my email. I can only be
thankful that I don’t do texting, because my frustration would only
increase.
We seem
to be bombarded by messages everywhere.
People want us to pay attention to what they have to say. Sometimes messages are embedded or outright
stated in sermons, conversations with friends, on billboards, on TV
advertisements, and so on. People are
constantly vying for our time. Some of
those messages are ones we need to hear; sometimes they are pure dribble.
One of
the biggest messages we all send is how we live our lives. We have all been influenced from our early
lives by those around us. My father
always grew far too many vegetables in his garden than our family could
possibly eat. The lesson here was that
we frequently went with him as he delivered the excess to those in the
community who could benefit. I know he
purposely grew too many so that he would have that excess to share. My mother always taught us not to hate or
even use the word and not to see skin color as an excuse for derision.
My junior choir director at church
and her husband, the organist, were constantly making big pictures for little
eyes to see. My choir director would get
up early every morning to bake bread and take it to others. She would go sing to residents at the nursing
homes every week. She would constantly
ask me to sing solos in church (Can you imagine my high soprano voice singing
to 800 people in a church filled with musicians and professors?) She was
encouraging me to use my talents. I
think she saw far more in me than I did.
She and her husband were constantly taking me to concerts and would
always take me backstage to meet the performers. Her husband later became my organ professor
at Otterbein. I could not have asked to
have a better role model of a Christian who constantly made me aware that when
I played for church, I was not a performer or a bystander during the times in
the service when the music was not being used.
He said, “You should always be an active Christian participant in all
parts of the service.” He gave
generously of his time and his considerable talent, but he was always a Christian
man in all that he did.
You and
I have had many role models in our lives.
We have had great teachers, preachers, family members, friends, and
mentors. What messages did they send? I hope your lives have been as richly blessed
as mine has been, and that people will see Jesus when they see us and the way
we live your lives. Not all messages
contribute to the overload. Jesus is the
best role model of them all.
Phil
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