I Love Moving and Funerals

Maybe I shouldn't say I love them--but they are both inevitable parts of life at one point or another. Think about it. Most people will move a few times in their life (unless you're Derek and you move every six months...oops, did I say that?) and most people will attend a few funerals as well.

I think what I enjoy about these things are the opportunity to show up in someone's life in a very authentic way and say "I'm here for you." I'm here to sit with you while you cry or help you load boxes in the U-Haul. I'm convinced that these things and these moments spent with people is what life is about. Showing up a funeral for a friend's family member or helping them move boxes can often radiate the love of Christ more then inviting them to church on a Sunday morning. I think people (specifically people who do not yet know the Lord) want to see how this God people talk about can impact their everyday life. What better way to love people into the kingdom, then by meeting them where they are and sharing in the inevitable parts of life that are common to most.

To be honest, sometimes the thought of "sharing the Gospel" which for so long in my mind meant I sat down and went over a salvation track with someone while drawing a picture of two cliffs and a cross bridging them together, scares me. What if I mess up and draw the bridge wrong or what if I forget what one of the colors on the salvation bracelet means?

I'm convinced that Jesus cares about our heart's intention behind our conversations with those who do not yet know Him. And I'm also convinced that there are people in each of our lives who so badly need Jesus. This world we live in is filled with heartache and pain and people in your life and mine have most likely experienced their fair share of it. They need to know there is someone bigger than them who loves them more than they know and can handle the pain and heartache they've carried for so long. I've found conversations about who Jesus is to me and what He's done in my life seem to flow easier once you find common ground with people--and sometimes that common ground may be at a funeral or in the cab of a U-Haul.

This is why I love funerals and moving--they are a part of life and as followers of Christ we're called to live life with people. We're called to invest in and invite those around us to know the Jesus we know.

So who am I investing in? Who am I inviting?