Third Day on the Second Day

Live Counter to your Culture.  I can't remember where I heard this phrase but I think it was at Brook Hills while visiting home in August.  

"To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him: if he is thirsty, give him something to drink: for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.'  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."  Romans 12:20-21

Are we responding in a manner that gives others pause when an offense is committed?  Do our actions and words reflect to a hurting world not just How to but Who to turn to?  We tend to see our enemy as anyone who opposes us.  I don't care what culture we live in, daily we are given opportunities to either reflect His glory or inflict our recourse.  Not just with folks at work, outsiders or non-believers but within our very own families and faith family.  Just this past week, I was tested in this with family back home.  I have a friend, a national partner and co-laborer that reminds and constantly encourages me to 'trust in Him', 'put it in Gods hands' and in his imperfect English to 'do the right' independent of anything else. 

Last week, we had a portion of a small group from Brook Hills, five guys, out to the cloud forest.  Aggregately, they were a picture of obedience ('do the right') in how they came together blindly as a small group, planned a trip serving together and then delivering one of the most impactful VBS events at multiple schools normally planned and executed by ladies!  Pretty impressive.  As its been said, guys tend to float through three phases in life: Struggle or Survival, Some level of Success and then a Search for Significance.  Our culture hates the first, is in love with the second and indifferent to the third usually until its too late.  This group has embraced the third at a relatively young age.  When living a significant life there is evidence and traces of your presence left behind.  They left their mark here because these Ecuadorian kids had never seen men do anything out of their traditional roles.  When you are living a significant life, you can't help but live and respond contrary to what the World expects! 

What impressed me the most was how they thought ahead with the future in mind for everything, ie. prepped, practiced, put props together and prayed.  As we played music while mixing concrete 'Ecuadorian Style' I will always associate them with listening to the group Third Day on the Second Day of the trip which also demonstrated the DNA of the group - looking ahead in obedience 'doing the right' to make significant impact contrary to how the World gives!