The Beautiful United States of America

I am sorry I missed last weeks blog, I was on a hunting trip in Wyoming with my parents and one of my sons. It was the best vacation I have ever taken. It was restful and relaxing. I had no responsibilities it was blissful, with deep take aways I want to share with you. While at the ranch we met other hunters from all over the country. As we visited with these folks it was interesting to me how different each state in the USA is. This country we live in has so many different cultures, social norms, and expectations. Not only each state but different parts of the same state even has its own cultures. But we are all one country together. My mom and I went into Casper to visit a cousin who lives there, and she explained how the gas industry supports the people of Wyoming, she’s a teacher and she explained how the oil fields support much of the school systems of the state. Our hunting guide worked his day job at the coal powered power plant. He explained to us about his job and how it supported and powered Wyoming. Of course the conversations of coal and gas/oil businesses brought up political conversations and these folks have similar views we have in the logging world of Northern Michigan and politics of today. But it reminded me of how it can be hard for the country to work together as a whole when we all have such different lives and cultures. We sometimes forget how decisions made here in our part of the country affect all the other parts. These folks explaining to us their lifestyles, why they live the way they do and how a change in their state would affect every other states/parts of our country, it really hit me hard. What a beautiful place this country is working together for the good of the country as a whole. At least that’s how it was designed to work. Then we had the long twenty hour ride home which gave me time to think, and the Bible explanation of how the church is supposed to work as the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12, kept coming to mind. The church is designed to work as our country does. Lots of different people to do lots of different things. Everyone has their own personality, talents, gifts, and places they live that bring such beauty to the world. All of us working together to love God first and others second is what it is designed to do. If we want to work together as the body of Christ, we must do what we are designed to do. If we want to see our Body flourish we must put others ahead of ourselves, and think about how our decisions affect every other part of the body. we must do what we were designed to do and only do what we are designed to do. I got a little sit down with God as He reminded me, sometimes, I see things that need to be done and just go do them even though they weren’t my job to do. Maybe for the glory, maybe for the control, maybe because I just think no one else can do it as well as me. But when I do this I steal the opportunity from the person the job was designed for, and it will have a ripple affect on everyone in the body as a whole. My choices affect everyone around the body. Just as we have seen in our country one state can make decisions that will affect the whole country, one Christ follower can make decisions that affect the Body as a whole. If we chose to live for ourselves and make decisions that are only for our own self interests, it will affect the church as a whole. We will not function as we the body of Christ was designed to function. I am so thankful for the this trip I was able to enjoy with my parents and son, but I am also thankful for all the people who I met along the way who told me about their little corner of this country and the lessons I have taken home with me. These lessons are so much better then the trophy mule deer I came home with also. It would be interesting to research of the founding fathers of our country had this working together as one body in mind when they designed our government systems? But for now I am just thankful for for the reminder to do the job I was designed to do and that is all I need to do. Love God and love others right here in my corner of Northern Michigan. All the rest will happen as it needs to.

1 Corinthians 12:12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For [m]by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body is not one part, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason [n]any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason [o]any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many parts, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, [p]it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those parts of the body which we [q]consider less honorable, [r]on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked, 25 so that there may be no [s]division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is [t]honored, all the parts rejoice with it.

27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. 28 And God has [u]appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then [v]miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, and various kinds of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of [w]miracles, are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And yet, I am going to show you a far better way.