the things that are not

Written Sunday on the bus, but wireless problems prevented publishing until now . . .

This morning at 4 a.m., I climbed on a bus with 23 other people.  A few of whom I know well, many of whom I know a bit and some I just met today.

After 923 games of euchre, I stopped . . . and thought . . . Hope City.  It’s funny and it’s strange and it’s counterintuitive that God would choose a group like this to spread His love, His hope.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are . . . 1Cor. 1:26-28

Out of our crew of 24, exactly 4 are strong men in the prime of life.  The rest might be considered to young, too old, too underweight, too overweight, bum knees, carpel tunnel, prone to migraines, etc., to be any good for manual labor.

And yet, week after week, these are the kinds of people (if they’re obedient) He chooses to spread His hope, His love, His faithfulness in Gulfport, Mississippi, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in your workplace and on your block.

May He use us in a mighty way to bless those we serve and to bless us as we serve one another this week.

 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
       nor his delight in the legs of a man;

  the LORD delights in those who fear him,
       who put their hope in his unfailing love.

 Psalm 147:10-11