INSPIRASUNS

I’ve never made it from scratch, and I’ve only eaten it a few times, but today I’m joining some other volunteers at our church as we make about 200 mini strawberry shortcakes. We’re serving these tomorrow after our church services, to celebrate Pentecost. I’m a little nervous, that’s a bunch of cakes and we’re making them from scratch!

We’ll be hulling over 60# of strawberries, slicing and prepping with sugar so they create that wonderful strawberry syrup on their own. We’ll be mixing, cutting in butter, and using our hands to soon have the kitchen smelling all wonderful as these little gems bake 🙂 . I’ve never actually made strawberry shortcakes, not because I haven’t wanted to, just because my family has never been a big fan of it. I don’t dislike it, I guess I just never think about making it. Well, I guess I’ll make up for it after all those years of not making it!

I’m looking forward to this particular time this morning because there are several volunteers on the list that I don’t personally know. We have several service times at our church, and this type of volunteer event helps us meet other parishioners we may not see because we just go to different services. As we all gather this morning, it’s really not about making shortcakes and prepping strawberries for over 200 people. No, it’s about the fellowship and the way we come together to serve Father. People, many of whom don’t know each other, coming together to celebrate and be in service to God. Isn’t that what it’s all about, just come together and be in service. Come together and “love one another as I have loved you”.

I’ve mentioned before in this little blog, how I sometimes feel that we as God’s children tend to make things more complicated than they need to be. We tend to make mountains out of molehills, we look for problems where there aren’t any, we get involved in things that really don’t pertain to us, and we participate in dramas that do nothing but make us miserable and feel icky, (that’s a great adjective right). I am not throwing stones, here, I’m guilty of each of those scenarios, and yep, I’ve felt icky.

Father calls us to be better than all of it. He simply wants us to do His work, to love each other, to share His message, and to make this place we call home better than we found it. All the other stuff, it’s just noise. It is satan’s sandbox and he has no problem kicking that sand in our face and making it seem like it was someone else. Before you know it, the sandbox is full of people kicking sand at each other. So I say let’s step out of the sandbox and tell satan we choose not to play any longer.

Friends, life really isn’t complicated and Father is right here with us to help us along the way. Treat others as we want to be treated, spread God’s message, show His love through our actions, and remind ourselves that one day we will indeed have to face Father. I am not perfect, I’ve definitely made my share of mistakes. God knows that and He does not expect perfection. There was only one who was perfect and He died for us. God simply asks that I do my best to be like Jesus, to follow His example. I pray each day to God and ask him to help me be a better child of His, to help me be a child that He is proud of.

As you begin this long weekend friends, don’t make it complicated. Follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Together we can do this, we can remind each other why we’re here and support each other along the way.

Have a great weekend, and hey, I’ll let you know how the strawberry shortcake turns out 🙂 .

Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.