Sweet Treats
Happy Monday! What are you up to this week? I have soooo much laundry to catch up on! I am still backed up from all five of us being struck with the flu a few weeks ago. Ugh. I like doing the laundry, in fact, it’s my favorite section at Wal-Mart. Picking out detergent and fabric softener is a favorite activity of mine…I know, that’s special. I put off dragging the laundry basket to the family room and folding – and then, putting it away! Anybody else drag clothes out of the laundry basket for the day? I guess I should actually be thanking God that we have clothes to wash and put away. I am truly thankful for God’s provision. This is what I would tell my girls, so sometimes I need to remind myself as well. I will make laundry fun by drinking a cup of hot mocha coffee. Yep!
Speaking of coffee, I like to frequent our local Starbucks. I love to support the local coffee shops too, but there aren’t any nearby my house, so I like to go there to study, write, or pinterest. With three girls ages three and under, I don’t go too often, but it’s a treat when I do. I have gotten attached to the baristas too, which I love. It’s that personal connection that makes a difference. In fact, I spelled my name for my drink just today, and the barista proceeded to spell it and asked if that was correct. I spelled it correctly and laughed and said it doesn’t matter though. His response was, “Oh, but it really does.” Taking this to a spiritual level here, I wonder if I treat each person I meet with the mindset that they matter – as an individual.
We often desire to reach the masses as Christians, but if we forget about the individual – the person who needs Jesus – are we really reaching anybody? People, when they feel disposable, often slip through the cracks and can be lost. There is a lost opportunity of reaching them with the hope of Jesus. The CEO of Starucks, Howard Schultz, has been credited with saying, “Success is not sustainable if it’s defined by how big you become. Large numbers that once captivated me…are not what matter. The only number that matters is ‘one.’ One customer. One partner. One experience at a time.” I am in no way trying to support or not support this establishment, I am pointing out what he has learned that we can also apply to our Christian lives. We filter information through the lens of Christ. We ask if it aligns itself with Scripture.
I believe sometimes we forget crowds do not equal life change. When we become obsessed with numbers, it seems we have forgotten the individual in pursuit of what makes us feel good. The tricky thing about the enemy is that he can take something good, such as reaching people for Jesus, and twist it just enough that it becomes reaching people for Jesus while fueling our self-esteem. It can become about how we feel and what “we” have done. Yep, the enemy is surreptitious that way. We have to be on guard!
For you who have friends at school who need Jesus, remember they are individuals, whose lives matter, and nothing you do for the Lord is ever in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). For those of you who have regular people who check you out in the stores or serve you in restaurants, those people matter and need Jesus too. God sees your effort. Like I tell my girls, we can always ask God for help when we need it. For them, we ask that God helps them to obey Mommy and Daddy. For you, it might be that God can help you be kind and consciously look for ways to talk about Him with people at work. I am praying for you this week! How have you found ways to talk about Jesus with people around you? Talk to you soon, sweet friends!
Love,
Charis
