A Sense of Urgency

Are you doing everything that you can to help others?  Do you look for opportunities? Do you pray that God will put people in front of you who need some sort of aid, love or attention? In other words, is there a sense of deep urgency in your life for addressing the needs of others? When I talk about urgency, I mean a profound sense of longing, almost to the point of frantic desperation.

One evening not too long ago I was sitting at home minding my own business when the phone rang. It was one of my closest friends, and I knew immediately something was wrong.  One of our mutual friends was missing. His wife had no idea where he was and had assumed the worst. The lost friend was an avid biker, and rode his bicycle anyplace that was a reasonable distance to travel. He had been on his bike that day but had not been heard from in hours.

By the time I received the phone call, action was already being taken. The lost friend’s son was out scouring the usual travel routes, another friend was calling area hospitals, and still others were calling possible stopping points. Being that we were macho guys, we were ready to metaphorically saddle up our horses and ride like the wind (even though we had no idea where to go). After several tense hours of prayer and ongoing phone calls, our friend thankfully appeared. He been at a meeting that went long and had forgotten to notify his wife. It turned out to be a simple miscommunication and all turned out well. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, enjoyed a nervous chuckle and went on with life.

Upon hearing of our temporary lost sheep, our church pastor observed, “wouldn’t it be great if we approached evangelism in the same way that we approached our lost friend?” What true words he spoke, and we can apply the same thought process to loving our neighbors as we go about our day.

Obviously, our lives are busy, but are they really? What if we spent every waking moment thinking of ways to love our neighbors? Do I pace the floor fretting about the possibility of hurting souls in the same way that I paced the floor that night when my friend was lost?  I admit that seems a daunting task, and it cramps my personal desire for comfort, leisure and physical rest. But think about all the time we can spend entertaining ourselves, doing mindless activities and generally wasting time.

I’m not suggesting that we seek misery, or refuse to enjoy the joys of living life on this beautiful world that God has created. The point is that we can often have a sense that someone else is going to address the problems of this world. Transforming a community is accomplished one relationship at a time, and those connections include our daily interactions.

There is no time like the present. Do you have a sense of urgency?

Big Ideas

My son has always had an ambitious mind. Years ago, he was playing at a friend’s house, and that friend had an electric train. During this same phase of his life, my son was reading some popular books about a broom-riding boy who attends a special school for magical children. You might be familiar with that series.

One day he came to me with a big idea. He wanted to suspend a train track from the ceiling of his bedroom. After that, he wanted to loop some thick rope around the train that would go on that track. Finally, he wanted to attach a broom to the rope, hop on the broom, start up the train, and ride the broom around his small bedroom. Easy, right?


Unfortunately, I was unable to make that father-son project happen. The spirit was willing, but my limited knowledge of construction and my minuscule budget were not going to suffice. Even though we were unable to complete this vision, my son has maintained his willingness to try out new ideas. I hope he always maintains that ability to dream.

There is much to be said about the imagination of a child. As we transition into adulthood and are faced with the inevitable challenges of practical decision-making, it would be nice if we could maintain more of that childlike wonder. At Kingdom Causes Bellflower, we encourage people to dream, to ponder, to ask a lot of “what if” questions. This can obviously be frustrating at times because barriers can quickly arise. However, it can also be exhilarating when we think about the awesome power of God and how He can move mountains.

A few weeks ago, I talked about the concept of being a catalyst, and how KCB strives to bring ideas together for the betterment of our community. This is a theme that I want to stress again, because transformation is about huge concepts, and a willingness to step out in faith.

Do we need to be pragmatic at times? Absolutely. Do we need to think about budgets, resources and timelines? Yes. That said, sometimes we need to get a hammer and just start pounding nails. We need to believe that amazing things can happen when God ignites his people and spreads their love throughout the community.

I don’t regret that my son and I failed to create his vision. Well, maybe a little. That project was too ambitious, but not because it didn’t have merit. It wasn’t possible because it would have fallen on my shoulders, and I am just a sinner, saved by God.

With God, ALL THINGS are possible! Do you believe that? Do you truly believe that? If you do, fire up those dreams. Let us know what God has put on your heart, and maybe we can find others who have experienced the same spiritual excitement.

The people of this community are out there, waiting. What is your big idea?