LUKE 14
12Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Did you have a rough time growing up? I did.
I was a gentle, sensitive kid who loved learning, books, roller skating, animals, and the Lord.
Until middle school.
I tried so hard to be popular, and I always wanted to hang with the cool kids.
However, I could never get my hair to feather properly, thanks to a stubborn cowlick.
I never had the right color hightop Reeboks.
I couldn't get a boy to look at me to save my life.
I never knew the right thing to say, so I would usually just stand there with a silly grin on my face. (okay, that's still the case now)
I also struggled with bulimia, and became the subject of some really vicious gossip that just made the problem worse as I tried to feel like I had control over some part of my life.
But still, as I was laughed at and talked about and mocked (and this was before Facebook, Twitter, etc.) by the beautiful people, I longed to be their friend, and became somewhat vicious myself.
Decades later, I still had a hard time letting go of that desire to fit in and be admired. In some ways, the entertainment business is a little like high school, as a lot of folks are concerned with their image and being seen at the "right" places.
Then, I went to Jamaica.
It was not the Jamaica that you see in the ads, with people frolicking on the beach and dancing the night away.
This was Kingston and the outlying areas, and I was there on a missions trip with an incredible organization called Food For The Poor.
I spent three intense days makeup-free, sweaty and frizzy, covered in dust, serving some of the most amazing people I have ever met.
Most of them lived in tear-down shacks, not much bigger than a walk-in closet, with 3-10 other people. Everyone took turns sleeping on one filthy mattress, which got soggy when the rain came through the gaps in the plastic tarp they used for a roof.
Most hadn't eaten for a day or two until we showed up with some rice and chicken or fish for them.
Most were single mothers that told me how they cried at night after their children fell asleep because they didn't want their kids to hear them. They were crying in the bushes because they didn't have food for their kids for the next day, and there was no one that could help them.
They all welcomed us, most of us strangers from this country called America, with open arms, smiles, and an invitation to step into their homes and spend time with them. They shared their love of Christ with us, and their trust that He alone could provide for them.
I met children with HIV that had been abandoned by their parents. They were at a Food For The Poor orphanage, and came running out to greet us when our bus arrived. One little girl, who was probably 4 or 5, jumped on my back, put my sunglasses on her face, and clung to me for dear life for over an hour. They had to literally pull her off of me when it was time to leave, as I struggled to hide my tears.
How could I leave her there? I wanted to take her home with me. I can still close my eyes and see her face, even years later.
In the dust and the desperation and the smell of those tiny shacks, I finally found that girl I used to be.
That trip was only three days, but it broke me, and I came back a different person.
One who realized that there was nothing good in me without Christ, and that the folks I met in Jamaica had more faith in their pinky than I had in my entire body.
And that I felt more alive than I ever had when I completely forgot about myself and how I looked and if people liked me and just focused on helping others, which you can't help but do in the face of overhwhelming poverty.
I haven't been on a trip like this again, but I have found great joy in volunteering locally. And you know what I"ve discovered?
Even in areas that don't look as devastated as a third-world country, there can be a spirit of poverty that is crippling.
And that that is where I feel closest to my Jesus.
We can all do something to make a difference, whether that's in Jamaica or Africa or India or right here at home.
And I can guarantee that when you look at yourself as the least important person in the room, and focus on meeting someone else's needs, that desire for popularity or more money or the fancy job will start to melt away.
How's this for an inspiring idea?
I heard a story recently about a gal who threw a banquet for homeless people every year up until her death.
This woman would break out the fine china, pull out the beautiful linens, and serve up a feast fit for a king.
For one night, these folks weren't ignored, stepped over, screamed at, or shoved aside.
They were greeted with smiles, spoken to with respect, and treated with kindness.
And at the end of the night, her guests were sent back to the streets or the shelter or the car they slept in with a goody bag.
I would love to know what Jesus said to this woman as she opened her eyes and saw Him for the first time.
Will you share what you have done to make a difference by emailing me at lara@thefish959.com? Or maybe what someone has done for you?
I want to share this song from Hillsong United with you that feels more like a prayer (I've added the emphasis).
HOSANNA
I see the king of glory
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes
The whole earth shakes
Yeeeah
I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing
The people sing
[Chorus]
Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest [x2]
I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith
I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees
We're on our knees
[Chorus]
Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity
