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Well, it is all over but the driving home! Yesterday we finished all of our painting projects, cleaning up all the mess, and doing some deep cleaning over the entire church. We also did a little neighborhood canvasing for Redeemer Church. When we returned for the evening worship service on Wednesday, we were greeted with many “thank yous” from the members of the church. They were really appreciative and humbled that we would serve them during our Spring Break.
Today, we got up and went to Universal Studios. We had a great time of just relaxing, eating, and laughing! It was a great way to end our trip.
As we head back to S.C. tomorrow, I am reminded of a universal principle that is found in the Scripture. It is the “Law of the Harvest” and it is found in Galatians 6:7-10.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not loose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially top those who are of the household of the faith. (NASB)
This week, we had an opportunity to “do good” to those in the household of faith, Redeemer Church. No doubt they were touched and blessed by us serving them, because they told us so every chance they had! But make no mistake about it, we were blessed to be able to serve them. Our faith was increased. We made new friends. We did Kingdom work. We had the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
This has been an incredible week. We really enjoyed Universal today…and this week we experienced the universal truth that we got back what we gave, and then some. It’s the Law of the Harvest!
Well, it is time to get to bed. We have a drive home tomorrow!
I went to bed this morning shortly after midnight with my Facebook account and my cell phone going off with birthday wishes from family members and friends. It was nice to say the least. Then, when I woke up this morning, much more of the same. So much so that I had to change the setting on my phone to “Quiet” instead of “Vibrate”!
Then we proceeded with our painting projects at Redeemer Church. We are almost finished. We completely finished the nursery, and are 95% finished on room #2, and 90% on room #3. Our students are working so hard, it makes me proud!
Today as I was scrubbing floors and painting, I thought to myself how unusual this birthday was for me. What 49 year old man plans to spend his birthday like this? But the more I thought about it, the more I saw what a great privilege it was for me to serve the next generation of children who would be hearing the gospel, maybe for the very first time, in these rooms that we were painting. I thought about this:
- The magnetic paint that we put in the children’s room would soon hold “masterpieces” painted by children trying to capture the wonder of a Bible story that they heard in Sunday School.
- The baby blue walls that were painted in the nursery would remind infants of the beautiful blue sky that the Creator painted for them.
- The “green wall” that we painted in the older children’s room would be used to shoot some incredible videos that would inspire children to live the greatest adventure of all, a life sold out for God!
When our work at Redeemer Church was through today, we ended our day at the Cheese Cake Factory. It was such a joy to sit around a table with 8 students and Tam to enjoy a good laugh, good food, and of course…Cheese Cake. Maybe my birthday was not so unusual after all.
Today was our first day of service at Redeemer Church right outside of Orlando. We were greeted by the pastor, Andrew Oates, his wife and daughter, and associate pastor/jack of all trades Matt. Andrew shared with us that the church had only been constituted since September, 2010. They use to meet in a building that was bought out by a Buddhist temple! They currently meet in the back corner of a strip mall that was once a satellite location for a large church before the economy went south. But since Redeemer has moved in, over 100 people are attending the church each week.
The building is very functional, but needed some work in the three rooms where the children meet. So most of our day was spent taping, priming, and painting these 3 rooms. Thanks to the generosity of Charleston Southern University, we were able to help them with some of the expenses and most of the labor. We still have about 2 more days of labor left on these projects, but I am confident we will complete them all, to the glory of our King.
Here is the church website in case you want to learn more about the church:
http://redeemerorlando.com/
I have been on dozens of mission trips during my 27 years of vocational ministry. Each trip was different and challenging in it’s own way. But the one constant that always amazes me is the unity in the body of Christ. I found out about Redeemer Church from my friend Brent Crowe, vice president of Student Leadership University, who happens to be a member of this church plant. Brent gave me his pastor’s contact information and I emailed the church a few times and spoke over the phone with them twice. However, I never met Andrew or his family until today. But after about an hour or so of working with him, I feel like we have been friends for years.
I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” (NASB) It really is wonderful to be in the family of God!
Well, time to get some shut eye. A busy day awaits the 10 from CSU!
We made it to Orlando, Florida and it is almost time to call it a night. A team of 10 of us from Charleston Southern University arrived here about 5:30 p.m. We could not have asked for a more pleasant drive or a more beautiful day. We checked into our rooms and went out to grab some supper. That’s when things took a turn for the worse…
We went to a local chain restaurant and were told we had about a 20 minute wait to be seated. Forty-five minutes later, we had our table. Well, sort of. Our tables were not even connected, but we were close. Ten minutes later, we had our drinks. Twenty minutes later, our appetizers arrived. Twenty-five minutes later our meal arrived. Twenty minutes later our second choice for deserts arrived (our first choice for desert, an Oreo Delight that would make any dieter stumble and crumble to his knees, sold out about 2 hours earlier so we settled for a substitute). Fifteen minutes later, the manager showed up and gave us a $10 off coupon and a $175 food ticket. Ten minutes later they collected the bill and gave us the receipt for our records. So, after almost 3 hours at the restaurant, our dinning experience mercifully came to an end!
Isn’t that how life is? One minute things are going great, the next minute someone pulls the rug out from under us! We all know the routine.
- We get a raise at work. The kids need braces.
- We get a new car. People in the parking garage really don’t care!
- Our hair turn gray. Then our hair turns loose.
I could ramble on, but I see you shaking your head in agreement. You get the idea. So what do we do about it? We remember the words of Jesus to His disciples in John 16:33. “In this world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Life is going to be hard. That is simply the human experience. But we win because Jesus has overcome. The word “overcome” is a powerful word that can also mean “conquer or prevail.” It is where we get the word NIKE from (yes, like the shoe company). VICTORY!
It is getting late so let me wrap this up. Life is hard. God is good. So life is good for the child of God. Why? Because Jesus has won, we share in His victory. We win! Period. So no sword, lion, cancer, bullet, accident, rainy day, and yes..even a bad “dining experience” can change the fact that we win. Orlando, get ready, we serve you as victors tomorrow!
