The Overflow

I sat down to eat one night and had to kick a ball out from under my feet and move a Barbie doll to put my plate down. Our dining room floor was covered in blocks, fast food toys and books. I sighed. We had an overflow. You see, we have been very blessed with a good size pastorium that the church has allowed us to live in. We have a den, a good size dining room, and a large room that I had great plans of turning into my formal living room. I had visions of beautiful furniture, drapes, a nice rug and a matching set of end tables, maybe even a coffee table. However, since we did not have those things to furnish another room and since my dreams were always crashed with the reality of brand new furniture stained with juice, trips to the ER due to coffee table concussions and rugs covered in toys, I surrendered and turned it into a playroom. Despite the fact that we have this huge room for nothing but toys, books, and other kid stuff, it still seems to always find it's way into other rooms in the house.

While I sat there eating trying to figure out yet another organizational system for the playroom I realized how much of my life is consumed with stuff. Especially right here at Christmas. We're either trying to figure out what stuff we need, what stuff we can and cannot pay for, what stuff we want, what stuff other people need or want. Then we spend the rest of our time stressing out about what to do with our stuff. I have probably spent an equal amount of money on containers and storage units as I have on the stuff we're putting in them! I realized at that moment 1. I am truly blessed to have so many people who have loved me and my family to give us so much stuff and 2. If God has blessed me so much I am pretty sure that it is so I can bless others as well.

So Josh and I started talking and really started discussing how God has blessed our church financially. We do not have a large congregation compared to many of the mega churches. We run between 60 and 80 most Sundays. But, God has allowed our budget to continue to grow in the last year. Now, I will be the first to admit that you do not want my advice on financial matters. If you give me a dollar I will find a way to spend that dollar. I do understand the importance of saving (believe me we have learned about those "little emergencies" that pop up!). But, I just feel that it is wrong for churches to have huge bank accounts collecting interest when there are so many people in need. I will probably get myself in trouble, but I will also say I think that it is wrong for churches to spend thousands and in some cases millions of dollars on church buildings and STUFF. The same day Josh and I were talking about this we had gotten a catalog with church billboard signs that cost tens of thousands of dollars. Are you kidding me? Why don't we just write on there, "Hey, we don't really care what you're going through, but come check out our pretty new stuff!" Sorry, that's just what I think.

I'll move on. Anyway, Josh talked with our church and they agreed to the Overflow where we would buy groceries to make 150 bags and we would have everyone bring in clothes, toys, shoes, and other things that were overflowing in their houses. I'm not talking about shoes with holes or t-shirts with stains. We had some very nice things brought in. I was praying specifically for a little girl who wears a size 6 because we had some really cute dresses brought in! We also had some people bring in new toys which was very exciting. I was thrilled when Josh called me on the Thursday before the Overflow and told me that we had come in $350 under budget on the groceries and I got to go shopping for toys!!!!! You should've seen some of the looks I got at Wal-Mart! Somebody asked me if I had twins! They probably thought I had a few set of twins with the full buggy that I had. :)

I really do not share this to brag on our church. Believe me, this wasn't done to get any applause or awards. I have just been so excited about every aspect of it and wanted to share what God allowed us to do. I feel very strongly that the church as a whole has really lost focus of what our original purpose was. We have forgotten about loving people, even people who are not socially important or financially profitable for the church. We have become self-obsessed with our "stuff" and spend all of our time trying to figure out what is going with us and how exactly we can get God to bless what we are doing. We forget to be thankful for the things we have been given and we don't have good things to overflow to other people because we are running so low on them ourselves.

I preach to myself when I write this. In the last couple of months I have been so upset with myself and the bad attitude I've had, some of the anger and meaness that has overflowed from me. I know that those things don't come from nowhere, that they are the things I've chosen to let build up and overflow in my life. So, as I approach a new year I am so thankful to serve a loving God who gives second chances, not just every new year, but every second when we confess and repent. It is my goal to pursue Ephesians 4:23-24 to "be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." I will meditate on these things, "whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is anything is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things." And, I want to practice what I've been taught. "But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins'. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1Peter 4:7-9

You see, I am fully convinced that when we get this right, when we've been renewed by God, we meditate on the things He's told us to mediate on, and when we do the things He has asked us to do, we won't need million dollar signs. We are the signs. What overflows from God's people can either drown non-believers with insincerity and bitterness or we have the power to offer life, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." John 7:38.