reception

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The Connection We Don’t Want To Miss Out On

Have you ever had one of those days where you just couldn’t make a connection?

the connection we don't want to miss out on

That was my morning today. I say that it was only my morning because I’m hoping that the rest of the day doesn’t go like my early morning did. I missed connection after connection. 

We’ve all had times when we missed connections. 

There was the time I was traveling from Toronto to Regina and missed my connection altogether. I had the wrong time for when my plane was leaving and I never checked my ticket. 

That was a bad one. 

Then there are the regular missed connections with our phones. 

You look at your phone and realize someone had tried to call you, but you didn’t notice because your phone was on vibrate … or you are talking to someone while driving through a dead zone and lose the connection altogether. 

Missed connections happen all the time. They are frustrating and annoying, but we have to put up with them.

I remember once going to meet up with a friend at Tim Horton’s. We said we’d connect at Tim’s on Princess Street. The problem was there were four Tim Horton’s on Princess Street and the one I thought we were going to meet at was not the one he had in mind. 

We were both waiting at different Tim Horton’s and missed our connection. 

Over the last little while we have been selling off some old furniture we didn’t want anymore. Lily has been great at posting the items and selling them on Kijiji or Facebook. We’ve connected several pieces with people. 

We still have one thing we can’t seem to make a connection on. We’ve had some bites, some interest; a few people have made some inquires. But we can’t connect this desk to a new home.

Sometimes making the right connection seems impossible.

This morning at hockey my team couldn’t make a connection for any amount of money. Passes were not getting to the player they were intended for. I made four or five passes right on the tape of players’ sticks and they bobbled the pass and the puck got away from them.

One time I just stepped on the ice and the play was right by me. Our defenseman made a good play at the blue line to check the puck off the opposing team. He then shoved at the puck to get it to me so I would have a clear breakaway.

Instead, the puck clipped the edge of a skate and deflected away from me right to a player on the other team. He took the puck in on our net and scored. 

For our team, the whole game was about missed connections. 

When I got home, I felt like I should go back to bed and get up an hour later to shake off the failed connection trend I was on. 

Here’s the thing: As some point in our lives we need to make a connection with God. We need to connect with Him in a relationship. If we don’t, we will miss that connection and end up in hell for all eternity. God wants to make a connection; all we have to do is be available. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What connections have you missed out on lately? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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The Secret Sauce In Serving

There is something about serving that pays back greater value than just being part of something.

church-picnic

This past week our church had two events that required groups of people to come together to serve others. On Wednesday we had a funeral at our church which included putting on a lunch reception after the service. Four days later we had our church picnic, which required a group of people coming together to serve all those attending.

Both of these events involved food, and lots of it!

They say there is a connection that is made when we eat together. And you can sure see it. When people have a sandwich, or hamburger, being mangled between their teeth, though it’s difficult to understand what they’re saying, there seems to be an easy flow of words.

Give people food and they will gather and they will talk. Food loosens us up; it makes us more social. Food gives us something to do with our hands.

Maybe it’s a distraction from standing face to face with nothing but a few inches of air between us. With food you have this other thing you’re doing on the side while you chew the fat with the person across from you.

… But when the food is gone and the conversation ends, you get up and walk away.

Serving goes deeper than that. Maybe that’s why it’s more difficult to get people to serve – more is required but more is gained as well.

When you serve at these kinds of functions you are doing more than eating and talking. You are part of making it all happen. You are the ones that make it possible for someone to feel comfortable stuffing a grape in the corner of their cheek while explaining what their family is up to these days.

You get to eat and talk too, but you’re an insider. You were there to set up, or cook, or clean up.

There is some kind of satisfaction you have when it’s done. You don’t just get up and walk away. There is a feeling of “we did it; it all came together … we helped” that those who just attended don’t have.

And that’s the secret sauce. It does take more effort, but the payoff is much greater. You don’t just walk away and forget about the event. You’re glad you made someone’s day, or that you helped make it happen. There’s a sense of connection with those you served with.

Between the funeral and the picnic this past week at our church, there were many who helped out and served. I’m proud to be part of a church that pitches in, digs down and makes something happen for the benefit of others.

Thanks KAC! You know who you are and what you did. I just want you to know I appreciate it all. And I hope you tasted the secret sauce of serving at these events.

Here’s the thing: When you serve the Lord, no matter how great or small, the secret sauce you taste is knowing that you’ve pleased your heavenly Father, that you have done something that has lasting, eternal value, and that you’re developing a deeper connection with Christ (and starting to look more like Him). Keep serving.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is one highlight you have from serving the Lord? I’d love to hear from you; leave your comment below.