Batteries Not Included

Acts 6:2b -- "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables."

image: habitat.org

The sun beat down on our shoulders as we worked the old rusty shovel into the slurry of wet stone, sand, and concrete. To ensure the mixture was done well we folded the stuff together several times before slopping it into the make-shift molds tightly bound together with rope. Once the molds had baked through in the tropical sun, they would be split open and the newly formed brick would be set aside to cure further in the heat.

My roommate, Laura Sutton, and I soon had a well choreographed dance that kept to a steady rhythm of mix, pour, re-set. Mix, pour, re-set. Before we knew it, the sun was high overhead and our fellow dormies started to leave the  Habitat For Humanity, Philippines construction area one by one - in order to meet up at the center of the little Cambodian refugee camp sight. So deeply entranced by our function at our assigned work station were we - that we hadn't heard the call for lunch and the devotional/bible reading that would follow. In fact, we didn't stop until someone tapped us on the shoulder to let us know it was time to take a break.

Lunch, a spirited mini-sermon, and a wonderful time of singing songs under the shade of a large corrugated tin roof provided an almost magical re-charge of our batteries - a burst of renewed energy that would allow us strength for the rest of our time at the camp. AND - it reminded us of the real reason we were there. Manual labor was only the tip of the iceberg. We were really there to share Jesus.

Laura and I spent the rest of the afternoon teaching young Cambodian children how to sing Jesus Loves Me in sign language. I'll never forget those bright eyes and glowing smiles and the joyful looks on ten and some-odd kid's faces as they signed I love you to Laura and I when our dormitory bus pulled away from the camp sight. It took no small amount of effort for me to keep the tears from freely pouring down my cheeks as I watched those sweet little faces from the bus window. I'm not sure I'd ever witnessed such raw hope and innocent gratitude in all of my young adult life.

image: habitat.org

In Acts chapter six we witness a great ministry set up by the disciples of Jesus. Not only were the original twelve hard at work in the community, but they had enlisted several more people to the cause of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. So deep into the ministry were they, however - that some involved began to grumble a little bit because the widows in their own communities were being overlooked when it came time to distribute their daily bread. It soon became clear that the disciples had spread themselves a little bit too thin. They WERE accomplishing great things - but a few people in deep need began to slip through the cracks of too much work assumed by too few people. It was here that the disciples learned to delegate. Their first priority was to the sewing of the gospel on fertile ground - it didn't make sense for them stop the momentum they'd built up to hand out food. So - in the handful of verses that followed - food distribution was delegated and the wrinkles were quickly ironed out. Teams were set up to accomplish every task and meet every community need.

Had this delegation NOT occurred - the disciples would've burned out and not been able to accomplish anything. Needs would have gone unmet and perhaps tiny weeds of bitterness would begin to pop up in the field of great work sewn by the dedicated group of men and women. The disciples needed to come up with a way to remain effective for Jesus while also being able to spiritually and physically recharge their own batteries. The ONLY way to do that efficiently - was to delegate and set priorities.

I will never forget the smoothness of the operation at Habitat For Humanity, Philippines. Some of us built bricks while others set up wood frames. Some of us were assigned to painting walls and running electrical wire while some of us were charged with handing out refreshments and making sure we all stayed well hydrated. And then again - some of us played with the children of the families working on their own homes in order to keep them from under foot.

But most importantly - we were ALL there to share Jesus Christ. It would not have been right for us to neglect the sharing of the gospel to make bricks and set up tin roofs.

I love that God has given EACH of us a particular place in the body of Jesus Christ. We are each blessed with certain gifts and certain passions. Fitting well into the cogs of the Spirit Machine [as I like to call it] keeps us all from spreading our selves too thin [after all, batteries are often not included] - AND it ensures that we don't overlook the needs of those around us.