Count Others More Significant Than Yourselves

Hello, friends. I've written a devotion for you tonight. I'm a little out of practice, but here you go!

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." - Philippians 2:3

My youth group went bowling today. The youth know each other fairly well and always enjoy hanging out with each other. They had a blast, cheering each other on for strikes and gutter balls alike, playing with each other's phones and sharing food with one another.

It would have been easy for them to avoid and ignore my foster daughter as she was dancing around them, insisting on high-fives and hugs and not always factoring in boundaries or personal space. It would have been easy for them to give her the minimum interaction that they could get away with. It would have even been easy for them to ask me to keep her under control.

They didn't do any of those things. Instead, when my daughter wanted to give them high-fives for luck, they responded with enthusiasm and even started to ask for them. When my daughter got a strike, they cheered her on like there was no tomorrow. When my daughter needed help with the bumpers, they jumped in and figured them out for her. They did this all without my prompting.

Now, I don't know for sure why they did all this. I think there are two possible reasons: they wanted to show kindness and respect for her, or they wanted to show kindness and respect for me. Either way, they exemplified Philippians 2:3. Instead of thinking of themselves, they counted either her or me (or, likely, both) as more significant.

Isn't it amazing, then, to think of what Jesus did for us? He had the perfect life. It would have been easy for Him to stay in heaven, where nothing could ever go wrong and nobody could ever bother Him. But he didn't do that. He came to earth and met us on our terms. We were broken and dead in our sins, unable to help ourselves, so He helped us. He sacrificed everything to give us the kindness and respect that we didn't deserve. Jesus counted us as more significant than Himself, even at the cost of His life.

The theme for the National Youth Gathering next month is "In Christ Alone." Philippians 2 explains that this attitude that we are called to have comes not from ourselves, but from Christ's example and through His grace. Without Christ, my youth wouldn't be able to put my daughter above themselves. But with Christ, they did exactly that.

What can you do with Christ?

Blessings I've Found in Enid, Oklahoma

Hello, friends! If any of you have talked to me lately, you've probably heard me sounding pessimistic. I've been doing a lot of complaining. This blog post is to help remedy that. I hereby present to you "Blessings I've Found in Enid, Oklahoma."

The only thing I can put first is my foster child. She's a handful, all right - but she's just a kid. More than that, she's my kid, and I love the way she laughs at my jokes, makes the most creative art projects, teaches Kensi new tricks, gets excited about the strangest of things... She's a joy.

Next on the list is my church. Sure, it has problems. Every church and every workplace does. But whenever I walk through those doors, I take something positive away. For example, last night, I attended a meeting. Someone had baked brownies for it, but she forgot to bring them. I jokingly suggested that she bring them to church today - so she did. Let me tell you, they were delicious.

Some of the people at church simply blow me away in their kindness and generosity - the young people in particular. I recently realized that I need a babysitter. I called up one of my high school students, and I had no idea what she would say. Not only did she agree, she was willing to drive over immediately if I needed her right that second.

Speaking of caring for my child, she has been enrolled in day camp for the past three weeks. She's technically too old for the camp, but the camp director has been fantastic. She understands my daughter's special circumstances and works with her at every turn, even when my daughter isn't necessarily interested in doing the same.

This list could go on for days, but I'll end it with this: I love my dog. When I need a smile, she's got the best one around.

In Times of Crisis

Hello, friends.

It's happened again.

A mass shooting, this time at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Times of crisis are times to band together. I may not physically be present in Orlando, but my heart is there and my prayers are there. Does anyone know of a way people outside of Florida can band together with those directly affected?

Times of crisis are also times to remember our hope. There's a hymn on the Lutheran Service Book that reminds us of our hope, even in the times that seem hopeless. It goes like this. I can't think of a more appropriate way to end this post. (I skipped the second stanza because it's not as applicable at this moment.)

When aimless violence takes those we love,
When random death strikes childhood's promise down,
When wrenching loss becomes our daily bread,
We know, O God, You leave us not alone.

Our faith may flicker low, and hope grow dim,
Yet You, O God, are with us in our pain;
You grieve with us and for us day by day,
And with us, sharing sorrow, will remain.

Because Your Son knew agony and loss,
Felt desolation, grief and scorn and shame,
We know You will be with us, come what may,
Your loving presence near, always the same.

Through long grief-darkened days help us, dear Lord,
To trust Your grave for courage to endure,
To rest our souls in Your supporting love,
And find our hope within Your mercy sure.

The VBS Report

Hello, friends! I am grateful today for a quiet afternoon, after a long week of VBS. Don't get me wrong, it was delightful, but goodness, I'm exhausted! Let me list off some of my favorite moments for you.

• While we were setting up, two of my youth worked together to find the right way to move round tables. The tables almost fell on them several times, but they got it!
• On the first day, our fill-in pianist played some Pokemon tunes to pass the time, because why not?
• On the second day, our regular music leader taught songs to the kids for fifteen minutes, and then let them try out the organ for the last five minutes. Needless to say, hilarity ensued.
• On the third day, we learned about Easter. Our games leader intended to play hockey with an Easter egg, but somehow, this morphed into Quidditch.
• On the fourth day, I noticed a kid playing with wadded-up paper and not paying attention. I held out my hand for her to give me the paper. One of the kids next to her whispered, "Give it to her - she's the boss!"
• On the fifth and final day, we had a celebratory picnic, complete with water games. By the end we were having an all-out water war. One of the parents distracted me so that three youth could sneak up behind me and pour pitchers of water on my head. I proceeded to sic several of the kids on the parent, of course.
• The best part about the tear-down was trying to feel productive while completely soaked to the skin.

There were successes - helping a shy helper make a friend, watching the kids (even the youngest ones) learn about everything from Christmas to Pentecost, getting to know kids that I haven't interacted with much. There were failures - some of the music was above the kids' heads, the preschool helpers felt left out, we didn't have nearly as many kids as last year. But most of all, there was a whole lot of fun. I won't say I can't wait for next year, because God only knows how much I need a break. But I will say that all of the planning and stress and time was completely worth it. :)