Royal Purple

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The other day I was making a PBJ (peanut butter & jelly) sandwich for Emerald while she watched. As I spread the grape jelly she said, “MeeMee, the J is so glamorous. It’s purple!”

Princess Snow WhiteI’d never thought of jelly as glamorous, but I understood. Unlike the drab-beige of the PB, the J really had it – rich color and sparkling shine.

Emerald loves glamour. Princess dresses, sparkling crowns, glittering fingernails. But maybe she’s not the only one.

In thinking about what attracts our attention, it’s often the most glamorous things that grab us – the brightly colored, the shiny, the sparkling. It’s the fanciest cars. The flashiest vacations. The showiest homes. The biggest jewels. The designer clothes.

This might even be true when it comes to people. Are we enamored with glamour? Do we name-drop in our conversations? “I spotted that celebrity at a supermarket once and actually talked to her.” Or, “I got that famous person’s signature in my copy of his book.”

We might spend time reading about the rich and famous, secretly wishing we could be like them. Or maybe we complain that we don’t have all the “stuff” we need or enough money to buy it. So how do we keep ourselves in check?

One way is to view these things as God does – especially when it comes to sizing-up people. He definitely sees individuals differently than we see each other. His Word says, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)

This is a quote directly from Jesus, and when he said it, he was trying to teach his disciples the difference between the world’s version of greatness and his. They didn’t understand it at the time, but that didn’t bother Jesus. He stuck with his statement.

Bottom line? The most “glamorous” on earth might not be as sparkly in heaven.

IMG_1060That’s even true of sandwiches. After all, the drab-looking PB actually wins in a contest of nutrition, but the oh-so-glamorous J?

Last place.

“Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matthew 19:30)

The Little Red Church

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IMG_1745Sunday worship in Kona offers many options, and for the past few Sundays we’ve traveled 20 miles up the mountain to attend a church whose building is an antique from the mid-1800’s but whose preacher is very up-to-date. Its official name is Pu’uanahulu Baptist Church, but most people simply call it The Little Red Church.

Pastor Derek has been one of Nelson’s close friends for more than a decade, and the two of them, often a world apart, have connected whenever possible. He’s ministered in scores of countries and has mastered several languages, Hebrew and Greek among them. Birgitta benefited from his teaching recently during her first week of classes here at the University of the Nations.

IMG_1894Ten years ago, Derek became the pastor of this historic church and now shares the task with his gracious wife Heeran and their three children, Andrew, Chiara, and Acacia. Though the church might be tiny, it has a big story behind it.

Here on the island of Hawaii, active volcanoes have always been part of its history. One hundred and fifty years ago, the wooden church stood close to the waterfront on the island’s west side when a volcano’s advancing lava threatened to destroy it.

Historic church.Parishioners gathered and prayed passionately that God would spare the building, and then they evacuated the area. When they returned after the lava had cooled, they found whole villages burned beneath the red-hot flow (2000 degree F). But they were astonished to find their church completely intact. The lava had divided, moved around it, and come together again afterwards. God had protected their church.

Years later a similar volcanic eruption occurred, and once again the lava split to go around the church. That’s when worshipers decided to move the building to higher ground. In 1871, they painstakingly dismantled every board, loaded it all onto donkeys, and marched the pieces up the mountain to a grassy field, where they reassembled it. It still stands there today.

IMG_1743Since Hawaiian weather is often perfect, the packed-out church uses the meadow for its children’s ministries – a nursery under one tree, Sunday school under another.

This little church proves that God pours power into small churches as well as big ones. A potent reminder of this is a sandy spot surrounded by black lava rock near the Kona coastline – in the shape of The Little Red Church.

Mega-churches have their perks, but God is just as present in a no-frills tiny place of worship as he is in an ornate cathedral that seats thousands. After all, his preferred dwelling is the sanctuary of a humble heart…. which is small indeed.

“Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.” (Hebrews 10:22)

Open your eyes.

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NelsonOne of the joys of being here in Hawaii at the Youth With A Mission base is that Nelson is here, too – on staff. He was highly instrumental in making our arrival as smooth as possible.

Once we were here, he did favor-after-favor to make us comfortable, even securing a car for me to use, since my room is a mile from Birgitta and Emerald’s. We’ve used this little car for everything from grocery runs to beach trips but mostly just for getting back and forth between our two rooms. Though YWAM provides occasional shuttle vans, we haven’t had to worry about their schedules and hauling Emerald’s car seat around.

That is, until yesterday.

FullSizeRender (18)Saturdays are usually free, so Birgitta, Emerald, and I decided to  spend a couple of hours at the local pool – a large aquatic center free to the public and virtually empty.

Our car took us there without a problem, but when it was time to leave, it wouldn’t start. Turning the key activated all the dashboard lights, the AC, the headlights, but made absolutely no noise. No grinding, no hint of a lazy battery. Just silence.

Nelson, located over an hour away and without a car, called a friend on the base, who came and rescued Birgitta and Emerald, since it was well past lunch and approaching nap time. I stayed with the car, waiting to hear back from its owner about what to do.

Plunking myself down on a curb and preparing myself to be frustrated, I looked up at the fluffy white clouds in an azure Hawaiian sky and thought, “It’s January…. and I’m sitting here in a swimming suit on an 82 degree day. What’s not to like about this breakdown?”

As I waited, thoroughly enjoying myself, God brought to mind all sorts of other breakdown-blessings. For example, the car could have malfunctioned when we were pressed to get to a meeting or other important commitment. As it was, we had no specific obligations.

It might have quit running the other day when I was driving an unfamiliar route in the mountains at night with sharp lava rock on both sides of a shoulder-less road and no place to pull over, cars coming both ways.

Or it could have broken down on a busy street, causing an accident.

As the blessings mounted, I could almost hear God say, “No matter the problem, look for the good things. I always put them there, so when you see them, thank me.”

FullSizeRender (17)Eventually a tow truck arrived, after which Nelson sent someone to rescue me, too. We don’t know when or if the car will return to us, but if it does, it’ll be God’s good gift. If it doesn’t, it might be more difficult to find the positives, but after today, I’ll be sure to open my eyes and look — because I know they’ll be there.

The Lord is good to all. (Psalm 145:9)