Stepping Off the Page and Into the Day

I cracked open my Bible today just as the birdsong broke loose outdoors.  The feathered choir was the perfect soundtrack for Luke 9, where I joined 5000 hungry people, sitting on grassy knolls, eating bread and fish until our bellies were full.  I got the impression that only the 12 disciples knew they were starting with five loaves and two fish.  The hillside crowd thought they were at a free banquet, while the disciples were sweating bullets. 

I'm not sure why Jesus fed the crowd.  It doesn't say he was buttering us up so he could share a "sermon on the mount."  He stood over the meager fare, gave thanks, and fed the people, then sent around the disciples to gather the leftovers.  What did he do with the leftovers?  Don't know.

What it does say is that after the crumbs were gathered, he led his dearest friends to a private place to pray and probe their hearts.  "Who do you say that I am?" 

It seems he was more interested in their personal transformation than in the crowd's satiation.

As I read this passage, I moved from the girl chewing bread on the hill to an insider, circling closely around this strange man, eager to hear his thoughts.  And then this God-Man lays it on the line to that ragged, motley crew of men, and to me, this ragamuffin girl....

Take up your cross daily and follow me.

Lose your life to gain it.

Do not be ashamed of me and my words.

These are not the Ten Commandments or even the Greatest Two.  This is not the Golden Rule.  These are instructions for those of us who want to conform our lives to Christ.  Don't call yourself a disciple and ignore these commands.  Figure out how to live them. 

If my arms are full of the cross, they cannot be idle.  They cannot push people away.  They are full of the people God loves; busy doing Kingdom work. 

If my feet are following Christ, they are not wandering off the path, bored and looking for a little excitement.  They are swift and beautiful as they run to serve.

If I am laying down my life for Christ, I am not busy self-indulging my desires, pampering my days and fluffing my pillows.  My hands are calloused and my heart is soft. 

And if I am truly unashamed of the gospel of Christ, my words are salty and life-giving, not laced with gossip and innuendo, nor mindless chatter. 

I have choices to make as I close the laptop and rise from my comfy couch.  How will I treat my children today?  How will I bless my husband?  Who will I cross paths with, and how can I sprinkle salt and life upon them?  How often can I set down my own desires for those of another?  What cross might I be asked to carry today, heavy and painful.  Will it be mine or that of another? 

These are lofty, idealistic questions.  I am the first one to admit that ideals and spoken priorities do not always match habits.  So I will leave us with this challenging quote...

Don't waste your breath proclaiming what's really important to you.  How you spend your time says it all.  There's no sense talking about priorities.  Priorities reveal themselves.  We're all transparent against the clock. -Betsey Stevenson