I sit in reflection this evening.

I am always sending out emails that are not necessarily positive. These emails, they often contain prayer request for those in need.

“IN NEED”. What does that really mean?

In the Basic Instruction Book (for) Living Exceptionally (AKA the Bible), there is a story about this guy who sat down with these 12 guys that he picked to help him share the Word (AKA Evangelize).

In Matthew 5, you will begin reading about what we call the Beatitudes. You will see he talks about hopeless people, grieving people, humble people, hungry people who are thirsty too, people who know how to show mercy, those with pure hearts, peaceful people, and people who are harassed.

Each one of them, he talks about how they are blessed.

Even when someone insults you, or speaks ill about your life, or tells false things about you, well you have this wonderful thing that this wonderful guy offers a wonderful gift.

That really means, your one of his blessings. You have been offered something so wonderful in this mysterious thing we call life.

Even with all that, we just can’t walk alone or do our own thing. We are built to live in community. I hope that you might realize that breaking that word down, it means COMMON UNITY.

We have more things in common that we have in differences.

Knowing this, we have all been offered an extra job. We all are multi vocational. Many don’t realize that this job offer is actually required for them.

This job offer is not just because you might have accepted this story of a Savior (known as Christ Jesus). However, if and when you were baptized, you signed an agreement. Your agreement was signed with water.

You may never see your signature, but it is there. As pure as water is, God can see the signature that you made just under the words, “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” There as a line under those words and that is where you signed your name.

Water is clear, but that signature, it is for life. We might be able to see it under a black light, or some other radiant light. But what you need to know, it is there and this guy knows it.

What does all this gibberish mean?

Well it means that we are in common unity with one another and we have a responsibility for those around us. That guy we want to follow said he came, not to be served, but to serve.

He kind of, sort of, implied that we needed to follow in his footsteps (he may have used the word example depending on how you learned it).

So what does this mean?

Well, we are responsible for each other. We need to take this job, the one he offered and all who agreed to follow, well they accepted the terms and conditions (which you might not have read every word).

This means, we are the ultimate buddy checkers. We are to check in with those in our lives. Call, text, share some liquid bread, or even just some ‘joe’. Maybe meet for a meal, or just sit in a parking lot and talk till the wee hours of the moment (cause it might be morning or late night).

Take the time to share your life with someone. When you took that invaluable job offer, there were two things that happened at that moment.

One, you were blessed by the ultimate guy, the one who sent his Son and given a wonderful opportunity.

Second, someone was touching you at that moment. Touch is one of the most important human interactions. If it wasn’t, that guy wouldn’t have taken the time to wash everyone’s feet (and feet sometimes can be pretty nasty – I have seen a few).

So, what is this all about?

People are in need. Some of us have been blessed by being able to see the pain as we look into another’s eyes. Some of us have been blessed with the ability to hear a comment that makes the hair, on the back of our neck stand up. Some have been blessed with just a general sense of ‘somethings wrong here’.

Check in with those you know. Keep track of them.

You might say that is hard to do. Yes it is, but then that guy we follow, He told us that following him would not be easy. Some would hate ya, some would persecute ya, and some might even want to kill ya. And in the terms and conditions, it just might break your spirit and depress you (and then you will need what I am asking for).

Being a follower, well that is work. Work that is necessary.

Someone I know is dying. Someone I know is in the hospital. Someone I know lost three friends. A bunch of friends in the Tulsa area lost a coworker too (cancer sucks). And a bunch of my friends in Oklahoma City area lost a good friend, former coworker and buddy.

We will never know the reason for a few of these. There is one who knows, but we can’t ask any more. There are three others whom we know, but the investigation will lead to a cause, most likely a human factor.

All that aside:

You have been called to serve. Yes it is inconvenient at times. At the wrong moment, or just not the right time. There may be a plethora of excuses one can come up with.

What I know, if you don’t do the job that his guy asked of you and you signed your name with water, you may have regret tug at your heart and mind. You may be filled with, “Why didn’t I see this coming?” “I should have called!” There are all sorts of “IF’s” that you can tear your mind (and soul) up with, so stop.

Instead of beating yourself up about what you could have, should have, or may have done.

Change that thought and say, “I will do it. Even as inconvenient as it is, I will do it.”

I have left my house, job, family and friends so many times in moments like this. I have experienced too many moments like this. So I know its not easy. It is time consuming. It takes away from something you were doing……

There is someone that needs your ear. There is someone that needs you touch. There is someone that needs your presence.

All these things are little m (lay ministry). Those are the words in that contract above “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” You might have been so excited at the time, you failed to read those specific words, but they are in that Basic Instruction Book (for) Living Exceptionally.

Not everyone is equipped to do big M (ordained ministry), but we all have accepted the job that BIG J has offered.

I will just say this, Nike said it best, “JUST DO IT”.

It might just change someone’s life. You might also keep someone alive. You might be thanked after the chaos ends.

Every 72 hours or so, a LEO takes what he/she has and stops whatever pain they are experiencing.

Every 22 hours or so, a military person takes what he/she has and stops whatever pain they are experiencing.

These are our friends. They need us. We need them. We need YOU. I need you.