My family is just now recovering from nearly a month of nasty flu yuckiness (feel free to look it up on WebMD). We have been through more boxes of Kleenex's in the last month than we should have to use in a year.
Feeling sick is never good, but having sick kids is way worse. You would do anything to make these little ones feel better, but there's not much you can do. So, when they stumble into your room at 3am and ask if they can snuggle in your bed - you feel morally obligated to say "of course!" This happened to Alissa and me about a week ago. Elleyana gets pulled up into the bed between us, I close my eyes, and what happens? She sneezes directly into my face.
Now, I'm a very loving dad. Did I scold my daughter for sneezing in my face? Of course not - I wiped my face of, like a man, and closed my eyes again without saying a word.
Then, she sneezed in my face again. I opened my mouth to say something - and she immediately sneezed into my mouth.
Elle sneezed right into my mouth. It happened. Having sufficiently learned my lesson, I turned and faced the other direction.
I was trying to comfort my sick little girl, and she sneezed her sickness all over me.
Will this keep me from helping Elle the next time she is sick? Absolutely not - but I might be more careful about where her germ sprayer is pointed.
As Christians I believe that we should always be looking for people who are in need of our help and comfort. However, with that in mind, we also need to be responsible and cautious.
In Galatians 6:1 it says: "Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted."
People are contagious. We pick up the habits, phrases, and sometimes even the colds of people that we spend a lot of time with. The love of God that we share will hopefully be seen in us and sought after by them. However, this does not mean that because we began the relationship with good and holy intentions that they aren't contagious as well. Guard your heart, guard your mind, and guard your face - you never know when they will sneeze right in your mouth.
For the record, Alissa and I aren't halloween enthusiasts. I grew up in pastor's home and I knew better than to enjoy the evil celebration that people in church called: "The devil's holiday." So we, kind of, felt like failures as parent's when Elleyana decided that halloween was her favorite holiday. "Isn't Easter better Elle... what about Christmas?" All Elle knows is that she gets to play dress up with the whole world, and get's tons of candy - what more would a little girl ask for?
So... why did we have games, and decorate our cars, and give a way candy on this particular holiday?
Because I'm tired of not knowing my neighbors. Sick of it really.
When I grew up I loved going to others people houses, and when people came to ours for dinner, or games, or roasting marshmallows, or whatever. Being a part of community that has fun, and spends time together, and REALLY knows each other is wonderful.
I'm not talking about the kind of community where everyone is nice, and waves, and occasionally talks about the weather. I'm talking about a community where people actually know each other, and what is happening in each other's lives. Where, if someone needs a hand they know and trust each other well enough to be able to ask for help without it feeling weird.
It seems like the families in our communities are growing more isolated and competitive. Instead of looking out for our neighbors, we spend too much time comparing our houses, and cars, and kids. We are growing more competitive and less cooperative; and I'm tired of it.
Families all around us are hurting, but they don't have anyone to really turn to, because they don't have a deep enough relationship with anyone. They don't want to ask for help, because then they have to admit that things aren't
perfect. WE NEED TO CHANGE THIS!
So what did I decide to do? I decided that at the first opportunity we would do something fun to bless our neighbors. It just so happened that the first opportunity is a day in October were people dress funny and pass out candy.
As the church, we are supposed to be the light of the world; a light in dark places. Do I feel guilty about having fun on "the devil's holiday?" NO! I will use any and every excuse I can to share Christ's love with everyone I can - and at the same time we can build community where we have fun and get to really know our neighbors.
Feel free to join in.
