three strands are not easily broken...

The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
Proverbs 28:1

There are certain games that you just don’t like. Maybe there is nothing logic about this disdain, in fact it probably is completely illogical. Nonetheless this game exists, and on the rare occasion you are even forced to play...that was Friday’s youth group.

If you have ever done a photo scavenger hunt before you know that many of the tasks involve doing silly things, snapping a photo of you in some public place doing something humiliating. I love these tasks, I am good at humiliating. I become sensitive to what other people think of me as soon as those humorous tasks turn to serious tasks. Like showing people love...ugh.

The theme for the photo scavenger hunt was “spread the love”. Basically going around town doing random acts of kindness for people, often times making yourself vulnerable; open to the acceptance of these strangers. In one situation we had to offer our assistance to shoppers coming out of a grocery store, putting their bags in their car. This proved to be the fulfillment of one of my biggest fears, the need to be accepted.

Between the dirty looks, snide remarks, and denial after denial I was adamant on giving up. Citing, the disintegration of society and how we shouldn’t take this, as my reason. But she wouldn’t give up. “She” is a girl in my youth group. She asked everyone, time after time, denial after denial, until eventually, she had single handily given out three bottles of water, bought a shopping cart for a stranger, and loaded a load of groceries into the back of a sedan.

All of this while I stood in astonishment, and embarrassment, at my lack of boldness in the love
that Christ calls us to share.

Friday night humbled me.