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Your Turn To Thank God
By Brooke Hodnefield
While Starbucks is typically not my jam, they do have a solid nitro cold brew, and I dropped in quickly with limited time before needing to pick up my middle schooler from football practice. Donna was in front of me in line, chatting away to a seemingly exasperated barista. He spoke kindly, but as a teacher would speak to a preschooler, ‘Donna, you’ll need to step aside and let the other customer order.’ Donna had misplaced her credit card (again – per the barista’s frustration). He informed me that she was a regular, and I noticed she was half-talking to others as much as she was talking to herself.
I stepped up to order and suggested I’d happily pay for Donna’s drink. No, he assured me, Donna’s credit card was there, she just had to find it. I carried about my order and jumped into work email on my phone while waiting, but I couldn’t help but notice Donna hovering near the mobile drink orders. She was chatting away and inquiring of the baristas as to where her drink was. I looked up just in time to see her grab one of the mobile drink orders (clearly not hers), take a big sip, then set it back down.
Thankfully the same exasperated cashier barista saw this and grabbed the drink from Donna. He scolded her as a preschooler would have been scolded for taking another’s toy. Donna just shrugged and asked, ‘Whose drink was that anyways…clearly they had left!’ She spoke to no one and everyone and declared she would sit down while she waited for her drink. She then pulled out a chair at a table for two where a businessman was working. Alone. She started chatting it up immediately, and then I heard the word ‘Alzheimer’s’ come from Donna’s mouth. ‘How would the doctor know this?’ She said, entirely perplexed. Dots were connected at this point, and I observed the businessman push his laptop aside and talk to Donna as if he had expected her to sit down as his coffee date and engage her in conversation.
My name was called, and I grabbed my drink and left, but couldn’t help thinking of the situation that played out before me. I considered generosity, stewardship, giving, and the overarching declaration that none of this is OUR stuff. Our money, our things, our time, our presence. These are all aspects that we navigate on the daily. As I reflected on Donna, she may or may not have had the money to pay for her drink, but ultimately that was not what she lacked. She was seeking connection, the familiar, and someone who could be a gracious soul to be present for what appeared to be an incredibly unsettling diagnosis for Donna.
Part of what God has gifted each of us with, regardless of whether or not we know how to use it, is the gift of his Spirit. This inner compass and often burning nudge can cause us to lean in or out. To act or to walk away. To engage, or to let be. My hope and challenge to us, Heartlanders, in our every day walking around lives, is to follow that nudge and steward what God has given us. Whether it is of monetary value or not, it is all God’s commodity and currency to give, and we are afforded ‘daily bread’ that may be shared or broken with others.
So what does this look like for you? Is there a larger financial nudge you have been wrestling with that may require sacrifice and great consideration? Or may it be a small brush up against another’s story where you have the commodity of presence to offer, or even hope. Each of us is uniquely afforded this opportunity to steward what God has given. He is a good God that we can trust, and he is authoring a more beautiful story than we can imagine.
Deep Cut:
Attached is a sermon from early church father Basil The Great called I Will Tear Down My Barns. It’s a challenging approach to how we handle money, and while it reads like it’s written to the 21st Century, it comes to us from the 4th.
The Book of Acts Reading Plan:
This Fall-Winter we will be diving into the Book of Acts. For context, check out these brief videos on the major themes in Acts from our friends at The Bible Project.
[Monday, August 19]
Acts 4:32-37
One heart and mind.
They shared everything.
Testifying with great power.
God’s grace was powerfully at work in them.
Noone left in need.
While this may seem out of reach today, what if we were to consider the roadmap in this passage?
[Tuesday, August 20]
Acts 5:1-11
How often have we offered the truth in a way that we feel is palatable, yet isn’t the full truth? This can become commonplace if we don’t recognize it, whether in small or big ways. It can hold us captive to a burden we may or may not realize that we carry. Ask God today to reveal where you need to bring full transparency and truth to a person or a situation.
[Wednesday, August 21]
Acts 5:12-26
This passage reads like a compelling story. Read the passage and imagine yourself as different characters in each scene. What do you feel? Hear? Can you catch the excitement, momentum, and power in the streets? The fear and boldness around the public jail? The perspective of the onlookers? How might that carry into your day today?
[Thursday, August 22]
Acts 5:27-42
“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” 5:38-39
A bold Pharisee named Gamaliel, known as a teacher of the law, spoke these words to the Sanhedrin. It is clear Gamaliel does not know our God or knows so much that he would never aspire to wage war against such a man! If OUR purpose is of human origin, it will fail.
I hope these words resonate deeply as they do for me. As we consider how we approach both the good and the hard of life, we can cling to the fact that God is our stronghold, strength, comfort, and might. His strengths are made perfect in our weaknesses, and when we hold fast to these truths, we can have hope for any situation we navigate.
[Friday, August 23]
Acts 6:1-7
We simply can’t do and be all things to all people. This passage speaks to a clear assessment that not everyone should do everything, but everyone should do something. There was a need being overlooked, yet important ministry to be had. The solution was to stop long enough to consider this and the gifts and abilities within the assembled group. Whether you are on a sports team, within a work division, family unit, small group, or missional community, consider what may need to be accomplished and how you might consider the God-given gifts within and maximize those to glorify God and catalyze the necessary changes.
If you’re interested in learning more about baptism at Heartland, contact us HERE.
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources). You can also download The Bible Project App HERE.
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get the free YouVersion Bible for your phone, tablet, or computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
The Bible App For Kids YouVersion partnered with OneHope to develop the Bible App for Kids, designing it specifically to engage children with Bible stories on an age-appropriate level. The Bible App for Kids is a free app for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices, available in over 60 languages.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
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