2 posts tagged “humility”

March wasn't really a good month for blogging huh?  April doesn't really look like it's going to be a good month either as these are the days I'll be travelling:

April 5th-April 15th:  Poland, Germany, Austria.
     I'll be speaking with my ole friend Nathan Smith to American students on military bases in Poland, checking out Auschwitz and hanging out for a few days in the German and Austrian alps.  It's going to be amazing opportunities, amazingly fun, and amazingly tiring as I'm still shaking off this flu.  If I have regular internet connection, I'll try to put updates on here while I'm there.  Please be praying for the ministry that will be taking place while I'm there.

April 19th:  Elaine's Wedding near Atlanta, GA
     Spending the night at Trey Boden's house whom I love and then watching my little sister (by love, not by blood) Elaine MacCorkle get married makes for what should be an amazingly good weekend.  On their RSVP they allowed us to request songs for the reception.  That's genius.  They're genius.  I love them.

April 20th-25th: Orlando, FL.
     Probably my favorite thing our leadership team here at Midtown does is attend the National New Church Conference in Orlando, FL.  It's sure to be a week full of learning, conviction, and team growth.  Whether we agree or disagree with the speakers or each other, this week is one of the best weeks of open dialog and constructive conversation that our leadership team has every year.

In the mean time, I have been and will be working more consistently on this than posting here.  It's a new teaching idea we've had to offer more in depth study that complements what we're teaching on Sunday nights.  Feel free to follow along with us at Midtown as we study through Philippians and go deep in personal study and reflection.  The Surplus will include, daily personal study, creative LifeGroup ideas and extra resources (books, audio and video sermons, etc.)

CUSTOMER SERVICE:
One of the reasons I haven't posted as much in March has been that working double duty at Midtown and Cafe Strudel has a way of absorbing a good amount of my time.  Working at the Strudel has also changed the way I think about lots of things which I hope to comment on soon but today was a funny example:

I stopped by my neighborhood bank to make a large cash and check deposit (of my tips from the last month) and ask some questions about finances while I'm in Poland.  I know the cash deposit has to be a little annoying for them so I go ahead and count everything out and organize all the bills to face the same direction to just make my banker's lives as easy as possible. 

When I walked in the only available teller is having a conversation and kind of looks at me with a "What the crap do you want?" expression on her face.  I smile and offer my ziploc bag of well organized bills and say "Can I deposit this?"  She said yes with her mouth but no with every other part of her face.  The entire time she worked on my deposit she acted annoyed and bothered that I had interrupted her much more enjoyable conversation with her co-worker. 

The funny thing is her JOB is customer service.  She gets paid specifically to make sure that I as a customer am SERVED and HAPPY.  I know what she feels like cause there are times at the Strudel that we get slow and start to think that we're there to enjoy and entertain ourselves, when that just isn't the truth.  We're there to serve other people.

As if you didn't see it coming:  WAKE UP CHRISTIANS.  We aren't here on earth for our enjoyment and to mindlessly entertain ourselves.  We're here to serve others.  We look like obnoxious fools when we moan and complain anytime we are inconvenienced by others instead of pursuing and relishing opportunities to become more like our Savior Jesus by humbling ourselves and selflessly putting others' interests ahead of our own (phil 2).  

Before you get all defensive and start thinking to yourself, "Well Luda, you kinda suck at this too. . . " let me just go ahead and agree with you.  But let's not get bogged down in comparing ourselves to each other and using that as an excuse to not run after Jesus.  This is me repenting and apologizing for the countless ways I put me first in my life and forget that my life has been bought with a price.

Much love,
Luda

p.s. If you read this thing I'll try to be more consistent and not take any more month and a half breaks.

Don't you hate when you're reading along and Jesus smacks you in the face.  This is one of those passages:

Luke 17:10

"Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'? But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink'?  He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?  So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"

So, yeah, that oughtta pretty much do it.  Even on all of those days when you are perfect, at best you did only that which you ought to have done. . . And last I checked I'm not racking up too many days of perfection.  Praise Jesus that His righteousness is credited to us!  (See Living in Light of the Gospel (Part 1))

Back to Living in Light of the Gospel tomorrow.