A few weeks ago I went to a small music/art festival in my town. It’s an annual event that had been cancelled the last few years due to the pandemic. So my wife and I loaded the kids up on a Friday evening and headed to town. There was a play area with inflatables and face painting so the kids were overly excited. While we were walking around I noticed two middle aged guys on a street corner with some kind of signs. As I got closer I was able to read their signs; they featured Bible verses about Hell and warning people of eternal damnation. The two gentlemen holding the signs were yelling at people buying beer across the street at the beer stand. “Drunkards will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” They were also yelling at a group of people displaying a rainbow flag. I honestly forgot what they yelled at these people….probably something like “Repent and turn from your sexual immorality.”

I immediately rolled my eyes when I saw these guys. They were very quick to tell people that they were going to Hell. They passed out judgement and condemnation with ease. I wanted to talk with these guys but I didn’t want to get caught up in a conversation that went no where. I wanted to ask them if their approach, the whole holding signs and yelling at people about Hell, if that approach had ever worked for them. Had they ever attracted anyone to Christ with their harsh words? I wonder how people would respond if they were on the corner telling people that God loves them and handing out pocket New Testament bibles?

How did Jesus do it? I know Jesus had a way of attracting people to Him. In fact, there were more “sinners” attracted to Jesus during His time on earth than the overly religious. He often had more stern words to the overly religious than he did the non-believers.

I went to a very conservative baptist church when I was a kid. I remember there being an alter call after the sermon every single Sunday. If you don’t know what an alter call is it’s where the preacher asks people to come down front if they want to get saved. It’s often during an emotional speech at the end of a sermon. The preachers I grew up around and those I heard at bible conferences and youth camps were very focused on saving people from Hell. Sometimes a point was even made to tout how many people had given their life to Christ over the past week or at the last sermon. As if it’s just a numbers game.

As I have gotten older I think I understand that the Gospel is different than just savings souls from Hell. It’s about transforming lives. Discipleship. And bringing Heaven to Earth. Yes, sin is still real and Jesus’ sacrifice was meant to save us from our sin. But Christ wants to transform our lives as well. And He wants us to share our lives in community, loving each other and helping each other grow closer to Him. I think many churches are failing Christ because they are more concerned with gaining converts than they are transforming people into disciples of Christ. You see, converting people is easy when you compare it to making disciples. Just like yelling at people on a corner about sin and Hell is easier than sitting down with those people and breaking bread with them and loving them.

I feel like I’m part of a special club. It’s a club that only a few of my friends are a part of. None of us want to be in the club because membership has no advantages. I joined the club a year ago when my mom passed away.

I never thought I would lose my mom this early in life. I often pictured her growing old into her 70s and 80s. I pictured her developing a relationship with her granddaughter as I have developed a close relationship with my own grandmother. I thought about big family vacations and holidays with her enjoying her grandchildren. But that’s not how things turned out.

The last year has been difficult. Yep, difficult is really an understatement. I cannot count how many times I have cried quietly to myself (something I am doing now as I type this). I sometimes get jealous that my wife still has her parents. But I am also thankful that they are around. They have been a pillar of support for my family.

The grief is something that really doesn’t go away. A year after Mom’s passing you just learn to expect it to show up when ever it wants. Grief will just wait around quietly and pop up with out a warning. It will remain with me because her memory is with me. And that’s ok.

I decided to take off this Monday to remember mom and spend time with my family. If there is one thing I have learned through all of this it’s that we devote too much time to things that are not that important. The people around me are important. The love we share is important. My relationship with God is important. Everything else will work itself out.

Love you mom.

Be forewarned. Most of what I’m about to say is cliche. But it’s true.

So I am thinking about writing a book. If there is one thing I have learned over the past year it’s that if you want to do something, go do it. (I’m not condoning robbing banks or anything like that.) But mom’s death has taught me to take advantage of  the time we have. It’s a process that’s still developing  in me.

It’s a life changing thing to watch someone you hold so dear battle for the better part of a year. A very slow torture to your soul. But like anything in life when you go through something traumatic, there’s always something you can learn. Yes, it sucked. Yes, it seemed unfair. And yes, I still get sad. (This week’ house church discussion about God answering prayers for example.) Despite these negative things, I want her fight and her passing to change me for the better.  I know she would want that.

And taking on a challenge, such as writing a book, can be overwhelming. I have my doubts. I second guess my ability. I make excuses and I’m a terrible procrastinator. And with a 18 month old and another baby due in hopefully 12 weeks, setting aside time is another issue (Maybe I can learn how to type in my sleep? Two birds, one stone)  Well, at least I know the obstacles I have ahead of me.

We all have something we desire to accomplish in life. Whether it’s a different career, a relationship goal, someplace you want to visit or some kind of lifestyle change. Ask yourself, what would you like to do and what’s holding you back. Make a plan. Say no to the doubts. Put one foot in front of the other and begin. Life is precious, don’t waste it.