“And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’”—Matthew 18:3 (NIV)

“God loves us the way we are, but he loves us too much to leave us that way.”—Leighton Ford

Steve [Sjogren] will never forget how Rose introduced herself on the Sunday morning they met.  “Hi, I’m Rose,” she said quietly, “…and I’m dying.”

Now that she had his attention, Rose went on to explain that she had a serious blood disease that the doctors could do nothing about.  She’d been through all kinds of treatments, but now they were giving her three months to live.  With a look of forlorn resignation in her eyes, Rose said she’d live just long enough to celebrate her 70^th birthday and “that would be that.”

Though he’s not in the habit of responding this way to folks with terminal illnesses, Steve felt the Spirit prompting him to speak up in a somewhat audacious way.

“Well Rose, I’m sorry to hear that you’re dying, but wouldn’t you rather go out with a bang instead of a whimper?” I said.

Not surprisingly, Rose did a big double take and with a shocked expression demanded, “What did you just say?”

I repeated myself and continued, “This week a bunch of us are going to deliver about 100 bags of groceries and lots of clothes to single parents in a poor part of town.  When we give them the food and clothes, we’ll offer to pray for them.  Don’t you think about going with us might be a great first step toward going out with a bang?”  After a moment of hesitation, Rose agreed to come with us.

A few days later we went out to deliver our bags of food and groceries.  Rose was quiet and a little reserved.  Mostly she watched and helped carry bags while other volunteers knocked on doors and prayed for people.  At the end of our deliveries, she remarked to me, “You know, I think I can do this.  It looks fun actually.  I think I’ll come back next week.”

Indeed Rose did come back the following week, and the week after that.  And it was on that third week when something powerful happened to our dear Rose.  I was blessed enough to be with her when it happened.

I was carrying the groceries.  Though she was shy and retiring by nature, Rose had now gained enough confidence to engage the strangers we were serving in conversation.  At one of our stops, we were invited into a family’s apartment and introduced to “Grandma,” a woman who was younger than Rose, but suffering from diabetes.  Grandma’s legs were very swollen, and she hadn’t been out of her wheelchair in over 18 months.  She needed major assistance from at least two adults just to go to the bathroom.

When Rose asked if there was anything we could pray for, Grandma spoke up saying, “I just want to be able to wiggle my ankles.  I haven’t been able to move them in almost two years.  I’m worried I’m going to lose my legs to this disease.”

Rose whispered in my ear, “Oh my, this is over my head.”  But I encouraged her just to pray a simple prayer and let God take it from there.

Though Rose looked at me with a pleading look, I said, “I’m sorry, I’m fresh out of prayers this morning—it’s up to you.  Why don’t you just say something like ‘God make these ankles move, in Jesus’ name!’”

Rose said, “That sounds silly.”  But she prayed it anyway.

One minute passed, and Grandma said, “I feel some tingling in my ankles.”  Rose was surprised but pleased, so she asked if she could pray a little more.  This time the tingling increased.  So Rose prayed a third time with real gusto.  This time Grandma not only wiggled her ankles, she was able to move them about 4 inches up and down!  To Rose and me it didn’t seem like much, but you should have seen her family react.  It was as if the Publishers Clearing House had shown up at their door with an oversized check for a million dollars.

Rose’s life changed in that moment.  She not only became a more devoted participant in our church’s outreach, she began praying for people regularly, and started giving out clothing and food two extra days a week.

Months passed, then years, then a couple of decades (that’s right, I said decades), and Rose is still going strong.  Recently I asked her about her “fatal” disease.  She laughed and told me, “Now all of those doctors are dead and here I am, still plugging away, fit as a fiddle!”

Rose’s friends from church recently helped her celebrate her 90^th birthday.  It was a huge party (something like the ending of the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, but on steroids).  Over 700 people showed up.

Everyone knows that I am very close to Rose so they asked me to say a few words at the party.  So I cuddled up to where she sat in a high-back chair.  As I began to speak, I broke down sobbing.  I couldn’t control myself for a few minutes.  Spontaneously the crowd of hundreds all began to weep—all of us for the same reason.

When I pulled myself together, I finally said, “I’m only 50 now, but when I grow up, I want to be just like Rose!”  Everybody cheered because they knew she lives every day for Jesus and others, not for herself.  She has borne incredible fruit in countless lives while defying a medical death sentence in her own.  The power of Jesus has been living in her and pouring out through her.  Rose’s willingness to trust God and begin stepping out in faith is what God’s kingdom is all about.

Rose’s story is a great example of how much more fruitfulness God can bring into our lives if we’re willing to listen to God and do what he says.  We’re certainly not promising an extra 20 years of life to every terminally ill person reading this book.  We’re simply making the point that, in Rose’s case at least, there’s been something incredibly healing about getting her mind off her own problems and focusing instead on letting God’s love overflow through her into the lives of others.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wisely said, “People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.”  Rose chose to listen to Steve’s unsettling invitation to make the days she had left count for God.  It would have been much easier to ignore him or even to take offense.  But as Hebrews 10:24 puts it, she allowed God to use what Steve said to “spur [her] on toward love and good deeds” (NIV). The Holy Spirit’s urging can be a gentle nudge or a sharp spur in the ribs.  Either way, it’s designed to get your attention off of yourself and the countless things that distract you, and onto God’s purposes.

New Frontiers

Everyday of your life, if you pay attention, the Holy Spirit is urging you toward a deeper and richer experience with God.  If you let him, God will guide you beyond your comfort zone into new frontiers of personal healing and change.  Contrary to a lot of the teaching that’s out there though, the change you’re looking for probably won’t come from meditating on what’s going on in your own heart.  And it certainly won’t come from focusing on your personal problems or limitations.  In most cases, the path to growth begins with focusing outward on how God is calling you to bless others.

Unfortunately most of us prefer established routine to the adventure or growth.  We’re so prone to avoiding the discomfort associated with it that Hebrews has to remind us “The Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts…’” (Hebrews 3:7-8a).

You say you want a dynamic, living relationship with God?  The Spirit says open your ears and your eyes, and soften your heart.  Let God’s compassion for the world and all the people around you make you uncomfortable.  And start seeking God for small things you can do with great love.  Like Rose, you may find yourself saying, “You know, I think I can do this.”  And what seemed scary will actually become more fun than you ever imagined.

You’ll be amazed at what kinds of things will touch people’s hearts.  A young couple named John and Carol Christian from a village near Madras, India telephoned Steve long-distance to get some guidance about ways to reach out in their community.  The phone connection wasn’t very good, but Steve still had a great time explaining some of his favorite outreach ideas to them.  A few weeks later, John called back on a line with a much clearer connection.  He said, “I love your idea about the free cow wash!  We tried it and people here really loved it.”

When Steve finished laughing, he clarified, “I didn’t say ‘free cow wash’…’I said ‘free car wash!’”

This time it was John doing the laughing.  Then he explained, “Well that’s OK, a cow wash is much better here, because we have more cows than cars!”

As John and Carol have continued reaching out, they’ve come up with more ideas that sounded just as crazy to Steve.  Having grown up in Kansas, Steve remembers being forced to drink buttermilk and hating it.  But John and Carol found that distributing cold, spiced buttermilk was the perfect thing to help workers beat the heat in India.  They focused on bringing this traditional refreshment to traffic policemen and construction workers in downtown Madras.  They raised over 26,000 rupees (about $500) from members of their congregation to buy supplies to distribute the buttermilk and it turned out to be worth every rupee.  Who would have guessed—buttermilk was a big hit!

There are so many fun, creative ways to communicate God’s love and help you grow closer to God in the process.  And it’s up to you to put them into practice.

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (NIV). So if you don’t know where to start, don’t feel bad.  God is willing to pour out the ideas and the resources you need to carry them out.  Begin by inviting the Holy Spirit to give you a fresh, creative perspective.  Then listen up!  Often, the perspective you’re looking for will come through an unexpected conversation as it did for Rose, and John and Carol in the stories we told earlier.  Or sometimes it will come to you in the form of a verse of Scripture or a simple word-picture that pops into your mind.  God communicates with his followers in all sorts of ways—just listen carefully for his voice!

There’s More…

God wants you to reach out and love people, but it isn’t just to help them or to change the world.  It’s also one of God’s favorite ways of enriching your life, healing your brokenness, and making you a little more like Jesus.  First John 4:16-17 promises, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him” (NIV).

It’s hard to imagine the world-changing richness of the life God has in mind for you and the people you serve, but it sure sounds good.  To embrace it you’ll have to significantly expand your capacity to love.  That’s what we’ll talk about next.

Getting Your Feet Wet

Think of a needy person or a growth opportunity that causes you to feel a little uncomfortable.

What about that person or situation that triggers the uncomfortable feeling?

How do you think God might be able to help you turn your discomfort into something positive?

Now put it into action!  Pray and ask God what you can do in this situation today.

The Reflection Pool

• Are you settled or unsettled?  Why?  How might becoming “unsettled” help you reach out to the world with God’s love?
• When has focusing outward helped you grown personally?  Describe the situation.
• How can you listen for the ways God wants you to reach out to the world with his love?