Parents, What Are You Serving Up?* Words From COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, what are you serving up? I had no idea what I was doing as my teacher/advisor showed me how to run the school concession stand for the football games. The juniors did it to raise money for Junior/Senior Prom and I was the one who was selected to get it ready each home game and train others to help. At the moment however, I knew nothing. We opened up the stand and it was really hot. You had to ice the lines for the soda fountain a few hours before the game so the syrup, water and carbon dioxide mixes just right, if not, you only served foam instead of soft drinks. You wanna know how I know that? Yep, one game I had forgotten to ice them because I was playing ultimate frisbee when I was supposed to be getting the concession stand ready. After that, my teacher/advisor thought it may be a good idea to remind me on game days, to get the concession stand ready. About an hour before the game, you put the frozen hot dogs on the rollers (a la gas station dogs). Then squeezed the tube of refrigerated chili blob into the warmer... yum, yum...it looked awful before it was cooked, sort of yellowy goo… it actually didn’t taste too bad when it was cooked, but I would not want to know what was actually in those plastic tubes. Then about a half hour before the game, you put the oil and corn in the popper and then covered it with the salt and “buttery” flavor after you turned the kettle and stirred it around before bagging it up. At just the right moment, when everyone was walking into the game and passing the Coke trailer/concession stand, all the smells of the cooked hot dogs, chili, and freshly popped buttery popcorn combined into one delicious game night treat, ready to be enjoyed with a nice, perfectly mixed soft drink… Unless, of course, you were late getting it ready, then there are no fresh yummy smells attracting people to the stand. And, when they do come and ask for a chili dog, you have to let them know it will be a few moments of rolling on the roller to get the ice off the dogs and the blob of yellowy chili would take a bit to actually look like chili, the popcorn is not seasoned yet, and the cokes are foamy.

When we are new believers, we are like new concession stand operators, we have to learn how to be believers that draw people in so they can see what is so great about being connected to God. We need to know what it looks like to love and serve God well. When we first believe, our lives are changed instantly, we are saved and freed from our sin, but there is a growth curve. We need to learn from God’s Word and the Holy Spirit how it is that God’s people live and act. We need to connect with God’s people who are more mature to watch them and learn what to do and say as the Holy Spirit leads them. We need to know what is not okay to do and what is best. We have to be taught and reminded of who we now are when we forget. Maybe you have met someone that you can tell they are connected to Jesus, because of what they serve up… they have knowledge of God’s Word, and they are wise in how they live it out, they love people, they serve humbly and well, they have a peace about them, they are doing what God has called them to do and they are enjoying God and His people. All this takes some intentionality and we all have work to do, even those who have some spiritual maturity. God does the work in us, but we have to show up. Paul loved a group of new believers at Philippi. He could see God was at work in them and they were showing up for the lessons by hanging out together regularly to learn and doing life together. He says, “There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. Philippians 1:6 (MSG) So, let's keep maturing so we can serve up good smelling, good tasting, refreshing service that engages people and make them want to know more about Jesus and why our lives are different. Don’t be content with foamy cokes, frozen hot dogs, yellowy chili and unseasoned popcorn, God can combine all the ingredients that aren’t so appetizing and make them into a pleasant meal for someone who’s hungry. Our impatient, ungrateful, arrogant, ornery selves, get transformed into patient, thankful, humble, caring, loving people.

Hang in there people! God is glad to be with us! I’m praying for us all!