Beat this Summer

Did you know you can be overdressed and underdressed at the same time? It's possible. Just look at fashion these days. You just don't get enough fabric for the price you're paying. Last night I saw concert-goer after concert-goer pass before us, each in a fancier dress than the last. It reminded me of prom, except the dresses stopped about 6 inches from the waist instead of brushing the ground. THere I sat wondering if I missed the red carpet on my way in. These girls probably paid top dollar for their dresses, yet very little was covered. So why wear a skimpy and expensive dress to an outdoor concert just to sit in the grass and cover up with a blanket anyway? Makes little sense to me, but then again, not much about the world does. The outrageousness of the night did not stop at the ostentatious attire.

What I Saw:  People-watching at Brad Paisley's Beat this Summer tour - St. Louis 2013
1. A guy that couldn't have been more than 12-13 years old sporting a full beard
2. A guy encouraging and then photographing his girlfriend kiss another girl (classy)
3. A few thousand people raising their cigarettes to the "No Smoking in this Venue" sign
4. A $4.50 bottle of water and a $10.00 cheeseburger!
5. Complete strangers watching each other's stuff, saving each other's place in line, sharing blankets
6.  20,000 people (give or take a few) all cheering for the American flag, and for a tribute to George Jones
7. A whole lot of people getting drunk, but not one fight
8. Kids waist-high all the way to gray-headed seniors singing the same songs at the same time (with not curse words)
9. Couples slow-dancing under the stars
10. Thousands of cars in lines, but no yelling, cursing, or bickering (a little honking)

Lessons Learned:
I don't have to be scantily dressed or inebriated to have a good time. My beloved and I had the best date we've had in awhile. We didn't have to spend a lot of money (except the almost-$20-pretzels). We didn't have to have front-row seats, or a beer in hand. We didn't need anything but each other to have a blast. It's kind of funny. Back when we did those things, drank and carried on, we only needed each other then too. The gray-headed seniors in the amphitheater knew this secret. I'm glad I figured it out. Life is too short to waste one minute on lesser things. We need to always ask ourselves: CAN I DO BETTER? Not "can I perform better" or "can I behave better", but CAN I DO BETTER? Is this worth my time? If you are settling for anything less than your time and energy deserves, then maybe you should do something different.

But I love my husband/wife/significant other, you say. We enjoy each other the way we want. Maybe so, but there is another element to what I'm relaying. Once you get a glimpse of Higher things, you no longer want to lie in the muck. Think about it. Once you have felt God's goodness, you want to breathe goodness to others. So while many around me were drinking and carrying on at the concert, I was wondering if the couple in front of us were getting their butts wet, and if they'd like to borrow our blanket to sit on. I thoroughly enjoyed myself at what was the best concert I've ever been to (maybe it was the fine gentleman I had in tow), but I didn't forget the goodness God has shown me, and how I pray He will visit the same on all those who sat around me. I remember when I was like them. Now I am changed, but I can't forget that we are still alike.

What's the Point?

I was watching a pretty good film today called To Save a Life. It deals with all sorts of issues that people of all ages endure today: suicide, loss, unplanned pregnancy, cutting, drinking, various self-image issues. I wouldn't recommend it to very young audiences (although I did watch it with my 6 year old nephew, but we discussed a lot of what we were seeing, and I think that 'parental guidance' that they recommend is a good idea for most television-watching). All that aside, there is one part of the movie that I particularly like. This kid (I say 'kid', but really the character, Jake, is 18 years old, just got his 18 year old girlfriend pregnant, just lost his childhood best friend to suicide, and is currently seeking the Lord--so he may be a 'kid' age-wise, but's dealing with some very adult issues like a pro) is attending a youth group meeting that his girlfriend just left because she felt judged. I'd try to explain the whole scene, but it's easier to use a clip, so enjoy:



The whole movie got me thinking, but this scene in particular got me thinking deeper. Today at church I got very frustrated with myself and my kids. Many things fell into order that left me and my brother alone at church with our children. My three were sitting with me (if you can call it that), and his two were sitting in front of me. He preached and I had other obligations during church service, so we were both up and down from the podium throughout the service, and our kids? They were up and down from their chairs throughout service. Between managing them during the church service, and then managing them while teaching Sabbath School, I was fairly exhausted. When the baby woke up hungry and I had to nurse him I had to throw in the towel and resort to sitting and issuing orders that went seemingly unnoticed.

As I started my car and sat waiting for Mickey to buckle his car seat, I took a moment to reflect. Why did I bother coming to church when I knew it would be like this? It's no surprise. It's always difficult when I'm by myself with the kids. So why don't I just skip church on drill weekends and have a pajama day with my kids?

                        It's because of my heart.
          Yep, my heart is in God's church on Sabbath, no matter where I am.

So in the words of Jake: "What's the point of all this if you're not gonna let this change you?"
You can ask yourself the same question about anything. I ask myself about my work for God. Why toil away at different programs and events if our heart isn't in it? Some people will take on a job because it sounds good, and looks good, and may even feel good, but if their heart isn't in it, it'll always end up being more work, a bigger headache, and essentially a heartache.

"What's the point of all this if you're not gonna let this change you?"

What's the point in coming to church? What's the point in following the rules? What's the point to what can become very monotonous routines if you aren't going to let it change you? But not just it--Jesus. I have been in the race without the clean heart. It is dirty and brutal. I don't want want to return there. I want Jesus to change me through everything I do. That means teaching Sabbath School when I'm overwhelmed, counting to 10 when I'd rather be spanking the behind of one of my kids, or putting all my time, energy, and money into an event or program. What's the point if I don't let Him change me?