Blessings and Peace to all of you;
This morning, as I have been reflecting on Pastor George's message from yesterday "Staying the Course" I began to look at my own course these past few weeks. Over the past two weeks or so I have been on the road to Camp Harmison in Berkeley Springs and Paw Paw, West Virginia with the folks of *Camp Joy* doing mission projects for the local communities. We work hard with our youth to help the homeowners improve their quality of life by helping them with home repairs -- painting, windows, doors, yard work, roof work, porches, wheelchair ramps. The work to do depends on what the homeowner's greatest needs might be.
C - HRISTIAN
A - PPALACHIAN
M - ISSION
P - ROJECT
J - OINING
O - UR
Y - OUTH
Faithfulness appears in many forms. Throughout the Gospel's Jesus told His disciples to be faithful in many ways. He taught them to be faithful in prayer, faithful in living and delivering the message of the Good News. Paul told his churches to be faithful to Christ's teachings in their daily behavior, in their giving of themselves to improving the quality of life for those whose lives were lived in the margins of poverty or oppression.
It is the third year in a row that I have participated on this mission trip. This year we had three projects in Paw Paw, West Virginia. If you have ever driven to Paw Paw over route 9, you will know that the journey is about 30 miles over a curving mountain road. Monday and Tuesday of our work week were exceptionally Hot with temperatures around 100 degrees with humidity that made it feel much worse. The work site I was on -- widening and extending a wheelchair ramp was done in open sun with little to no shade to protect us.
Reflecting faithfulness on this project would almost certainly resemble a sunburned face, neck, arms, legs and shoulders. Reflecting faithfulness would look a lot like us trying to swipe all the gnats away that constantly buzzed around your face or the look of determination on our faces to ignore them and get the job done. It was reflected in the tired faces of our youth as they put their best efforts into the projects getting done.
Staying the course under the very hot West Virginia sun was very challenging to the adults as well.
Faithfulness is relative in our society. Many people choose to reflect their faithfulness in a relationship as a temporary burden to bear until the relationship (or the mission trip) concludes. We have done our part for this year and we can be satisfied with that -- at least until next year! We always somehow find a way to reflect our faithfulness to a very fine point so we can look in a mirror and tell ourselves "Well done good and faithful servant, you may now enter into the joy of the Lord."
But God doesn't have a mirror to look at Himself with to judge His faithfulness to us. NO! God's faithfulness is eternal and unchanging. God calls us to be like him - to reflect the image of Christ (Philippians 2:1-13). Jesus told His disciples to be faithful in the small things, especially the small things that we are too casual with.
Faithfulness is a nutrient rich fruit of the Spirit. As one of God's more perfect fruits, we can only try to be just as perfect in our faith, not because we want to look in a mirror and brag about our annual success, but because it is a faithful work of God carried out for the Children of God all year round.
Where/when have you been tested to stay the course?
How do you reflect your successes? Your failures?
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