This past Sunday afternoon I finished reading my latest pick from the Kent District Library "The Year of Living Like Jesus" by retired local Grand Rapids pastor, Ed Dobson.
Not a specimen of literary art, some sections I skimmed and others I ashamedly skipped. I would take up issue with some comments he made and others I would applaud loudly. However, overall it's a book that I enjoyed and very much valued reading past the ink on the page.
Due to this book, at the forefront of my mind has been the concept of living like Jesus. Not like Dobson did with growing his beard (good thing!) and eating kosher foods, but according to Christ's teachings and his values as we read them in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of the New Testament.
I, therefore, found myself unexpectedly in the midst of a Kingdom moment this past Sunday.
Four year old Joshua lives a few apartments down from me. Early evenings when he has not disobeyed his grandma, his mother allows him to play outside with his bike, tee-ball equipment, bug catching kit or any other toy he's recently acquired. He's ever knocking on my patio door or calling from a few yards away "Nessa, come and watch me." "Hi, Nessa, whatcha doing?" "Nessa, look what I have."
Some days I've joined Josh as we collected insects, chased toads and searched for ducks. Other days I'd greet him cheerily, step outside for a few words with his mom, then hide inside from the mosquito army camped outside my patio door.
Sunday, I had planned out my afternoon in a timely way and had little room for extra curricular activities. Following church, I'd prepare my weekday lunches, clean up dishes, do a bit of laundry, dress for a birthday party and leave. Then I heard my little neighbour's voice call out, "Nessa, are you there?" I peeked out from my kitchen without thinking. He saw me. I was caught. "Come and see how fast I can go!" In formerly white ankle socks, red shirt and shorts, Josh was out with his bike riding around in the the dirt.
I had no time for Josh today. To placate him I'd poke my head out every few minutes and call "Yes, I see you." "Oh my, that WAS fast!" "Do that again, Josh!" Hoping my responses were appropriate to what he was actually doing and allowing myself to finish the dirty dishes in the sink.
Whilst scrubbing a greasy pan, Dobson's book came to mind. I then saw myself living the "Martha and Mary" story of Luke's gospel. Martha busied herself with the household chores and Mary sat with Jesus listening to him and enjoying his company. Jesus appreciated and honoured Mary for her friendship and communion and wished Martha would join them.
My mind then jumped to the teaching of Jesus calling those who love him to welcome these little children, and in doing so, we welcome him.
My little Jesus was calling for me to come and watch him, to love him and to value him. He soon appeared again at my screen door to show off his bike helmet. I put down the dish cloth and told Joshua to wait one second. I ran to my closet, retrieved my bike helmet and joined him outside. We compared helmets and he was impressed that ours had the same 'buttons' to latch and unlatch them. He hopped on his bike, I leaned up against the tree and timed his riding from his patio to mine and back.
I went to bed that night still with a laundry basket of dirty clothes and I was a few minutes late to the birthday party, but for at least for a small section of my day, I remembered a commitment made long ago to live like Jesus and spent a valuable couple of minutes with him playing in the dirt.
Not a specimen of literary art, some sections I skimmed and others I ashamedly skipped. I would take up issue with some comments he made and others I would applaud loudly. However, overall it's a book that I enjoyed and very much valued reading past the ink on the page.
Due to this book, at the forefront of my mind has been the concept of living like Jesus. Not like Dobson did with growing his beard (good thing!) and eating kosher foods, but according to Christ's teachings and his values as we read them in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of the New Testament.
I, therefore, found myself unexpectedly in the midst of a Kingdom moment this past Sunday.
Four year old Joshua lives a few apartments down from me. Early evenings when he has not disobeyed his grandma, his mother allows him to play outside with his bike, tee-ball equipment, bug catching kit or any other toy he's recently acquired. He's ever knocking on my patio door or calling from a few yards away "Nessa, come and watch me." "Hi, Nessa, whatcha doing?" "Nessa, look what I have."
Some days I've joined Josh as we collected insects, chased toads and searched for ducks. Other days I'd greet him cheerily, step outside for a few words with his mom, then hide inside from the mosquito army camped outside my patio door.
Sunday, I had planned out my afternoon in a timely way and had little room for extra curricular activities. Following church, I'd prepare my weekday lunches, clean up dishes, do a bit of laundry, dress for a birthday party and leave. Then I heard my little neighbour's voice call out, "Nessa, are you there?" I peeked out from my kitchen without thinking. He saw me. I was caught. "Come and see how fast I can go!" In formerly white ankle socks, red shirt and shorts, Josh was out with his bike riding around in the the dirt.
I had no time for Josh today. To placate him I'd poke my head out every few minutes and call "Yes, I see you." "Oh my, that WAS fast!" "Do that again, Josh!" Hoping my responses were appropriate to what he was actually doing and allowing myself to finish the dirty dishes in the sink.
Whilst scrubbing a greasy pan, Dobson's book came to mind. I then saw myself living the "Martha and Mary" story of Luke's gospel. Martha busied herself with the household chores and Mary sat with Jesus listening to him and enjoying his company. Jesus appreciated and honoured Mary for her friendship and communion and wished Martha would join them.
My mind then jumped to the teaching of Jesus calling those who love him to welcome these little children, and in doing so, we welcome him.My little Jesus was calling for me to come and watch him, to love him and to value him. He soon appeared again at my screen door to show off his bike helmet. I put down the dish cloth and told Joshua to wait one second. I ran to my closet, retrieved my bike helmet and joined him outside. We compared helmets and he was impressed that ours had the same 'buttons' to latch and unlatch them. He hopped on his bike, I leaned up against the tree and timed his riding from his patio to mine and back.
I went to bed that night still with a laundry basket of dirty clothes and I was a few minutes late to the birthday party, but for at least for a small section of my day, I remembered a commitment made long ago to live like Jesus and spent a valuable couple of minutes with him playing in the dirt.
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