The Las Vegas Airport. Time to kill. What does my husband do? Get his cowboy boots shined! It turned out to be a most pleasant experience. He waited for his turn and enjoyed a visit with several in the room, including the shoe shiner. What my husband noticed most about the shoe shiner was his gentle nature and the way he interacted with his customers. My husband overheard him with another customer saying "If you believe in the Bible, you know that family is important." Then, when it was Ben's turn, he asked the shoe shiner "How much do you read the Bible?" The shoe shiner responded "I read it all the time, every day. It's my guide to life. I've read the whole Bible, beginning to end." What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas. When one's life is lived for God, others take note and are encouraged.
Stephen Curry plays for the Golden State Warriors. OK, it's hard for a devoted Spurs fan to talk about other NBA teams right now. However, I couldn't help but notice a story this past week about Stephen Curry and what makes him tick. After winning the Kia Motors 2014-2015 NBA Most Valuable Player, He opened his acceptance speech by saying "This is a tremendous honor. First and foremost, I have to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for blessing me with the talents to play this game, with the family to support me, day in and day out. I am his humble servant right now, and I can't say it enough how important my faith is to how I play the game and who I am. I'm just blessed, and I'm just thankful for where I am." He went on to say that when he makes a shot or good pass on the court, he pounds his chest and points to the sky to symbolize that he has a heart for God. Yes, Curry points beyond himself to the true hero, God. (Stephen Curry and the Culture of Self-Trust, Bethany Jenkins)
So, there you have it... a shoe shiner and an NBA player. Different jobs but the same ultimate purpose. Living their life for God. These two men realize that life is not about them. They're serving One much greater, their God in heaven. Beyond shoe shining and playing basketball is a way of life that has been forged through a persevering faith in Jesus Christ. A life characterized by humility, love, gratitude and trust in God. Sadly, we can miss this kind of life because we long for our own success and achievements to be lauded. We want to be noticed. Liked. Accepted. Appreciated. In the midst of striving to receive our own glory, we miss the life God offers us. Success is a great thing to aspire to, but who gets the glory for your successes?
Every day, you and I have a choice. Will we live our lives for an audience of One? Will we be about glorifying God in and through our daily work? When we make a choice to live for God, others take note. They see God in us! When we live for ourselves, that's what people see. Ourselves. How about you?
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Monday, May 4, 2015
Musings From a Devoted Spurs Fan
Sometimes, I wish things would just stay the same. Why do good things come to an end? 2014 was such an exciting year here in San Antonio, culminating in the San Antonio Spurs winning the NBA championship in June. How proud we were of our team! It was truly magical to watch them play beautiful basketball. Team oriented. Humble. Pure class. Great guys. That's our San Antonio Spurs. We couldn't be more proud of our team.
But all good things come to an end. We don't know what next year holds for our Spurs, but it probably won't be the same team as this year. Why? Things change. I sometimes wish that the good things in life would be frozen in time. Babies staying babies. Puppies staying puppies. Great relationships always being great. Dream jobs that last. Parents that don't grow old. College fun forever. You know what I'm talking about. The good things in life. Sadly, things don't stay the same.
Even though the Spurs brought back the same team as last year, things didn't go the same this year. Saturday night was a well fought battle, but the Spurs came up short. A real heart breaker for the devoted Spurs fan. I admit it, I'm feelin' it. I know we'll get over the sadness of our Spurs being eliminated. But, it's much harder to have things in our own personal lives change. A few months ago, I lost my mother. Even as a grown adult, it's hard to fathom life without your mom. I've always had my mom. I'm realizing that things just aren't the same...and it hurts.
I call to mind a passage in Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." I couldn't stop thinking about two words. THE SAME. "The sameness of Jesus Christ is the sameness that comes from being the eternal God. His unchangingness is the unchangingness of God." (John Piper) What was written about Christ in the Bible will always be true about Christ. Jesus can respond differently to our different circumstances. He can grieve over our sin and distance. He can rejoice as well. But Jesus' character is consistent, rooted in love, wisdom, compassion, righteousness and power. He is the same in his perfect plan.
Another birthday around the corner? Sending your first child off to college? Experiencing a recent loss? Lamenting the Spurs loss? Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. The past is the past. We can remember and thank God for the past. But things will never be the same again. If you are breathing, you will constantly experience change. But there is one constant that will never change- Jesus.
"A caterpillar wraps himself in a comfortable and cozy cocoon. But while he is hiding, there's something' changin' deep inside. Cause when he breaks out, he's a beautiful butterfly! Everything changes, nothin' stays the same. Whether I like it or not, everything changes, day after day. And I'm so glad I can say- the God of the Bible will always stay the same..." (Katherine Bright, Never Changes, 2001)
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
But all good things come to an end. We don't know what next year holds for our Spurs, but it probably won't be the same team as this year. Why? Things change. I sometimes wish that the good things in life would be frozen in time. Babies staying babies. Puppies staying puppies. Great relationships always being great. Dream jobs that last. Parents that don't grow old. College fun forever. You know what I'm talking about. The good things in life. Sadly, things don't stay the same.
Even though the Spurs brought back the same team as last year, things didn't go the same this year. Saturday night was a well fought battle, but the Spurs came up short. A real heart breaker for the devoted Spurs fan. I admit it, I'm feelin' it. I know we'll get over the sadness of our Spurs being eliminated. But, it's much harder to have things in our own personal lives change. A few months ago, I lost my mother. Even as a grown adult, it's hard to fathom life without your mom. I've always had my mom. I'm realizing that things just aren't the same...and it hurts.
I call to mind a passage in Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." I couldn't stop thinking about two words. THE SAME. "The sameness of Jesus Christ is the sameness that comes from being the eternal God. His unchangingness is the unchangingness of God." (John Piper) What was written about Christ in the Bible will always be true about Christ. Jesus can respond differently to our different circumstances. He can grieve over our sin and distance. He can rejoice as well. But Jesus' character is consistent, rooted in love, wisdom, compassion, righteousness and power. He is the same in his perfect plan.
Another birthday around the corner? Sending your first child off to college? Experiencing a recent loss? Lamenting the Spurs loss? Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. The past is the past. We can remember and thank God for the past. But things will never be the same again. If you are breathing, you will constantly experience change. But there is one constant that will never change- Jesus.
"A caterpillar wraps himself in a comfortable and cozy cocoon. But while he is hiding, there's something' changin' deep inside. Cause when he breaks out, he's a beautiful butterfly! Everything changes, nothin' stays the same. Whether I like it or not, everything changes, day after day. And I'm so glad I can say- the God of the Bible will always stay the same..." (Katherine Bright, Never Changes, 2001)
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
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