It's What I Like About You
“When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.’” Matthew 8:10
"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." Matthew 15:27
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 7:8
Ever know someone who always had something critical to say, someone who was always looking for what was wrong and quick to point it out? Maybe it was a teacher or a parent or a boss? How did you feel about that person? Did their criticism help or hurt? It has always been interesting to me how criticism seems to burn its way onto our minds like bright lights you see long after you close your eyes. Sometimes those burns leave scars.
Some might be thinking, “Wait a minute, aren’t teachers, parents, and bosses supposed to be critical? Isn’t it in the job description?” And of course it is. Solomon writes time after time in Proverbs that a wise man listens to rebuke. Every healthy tree needs to be pruned sometimes. Still, I wonder how often we stop to think about the impact of a rebuke and how easy it is to hand them out.
I find that it is all too natural for me to rip someone up with sarcasm and it just slips my mind completely to compliment or encourage when it is deserved. It is like I think, “Hey, why should I praise you for doing something you should have been doing?” I find myself wondering if I were to track criticisms and compliments that I give in the course of a week, which would be higher? Then I wonder if I have a reputation as someone who is always finding things that are wrong? Do people pass out from shock when I praise them? Then I started looking for examples of Jesus praising others, and wow, did I ever find them. (See Above verses) Surly Jesus could have found a thing or two to rip into these people! Yet he tells them they have great faith. Bet they didn’t feel like they had such great faith. I also bet that Jesus praise was a tape they played over and over in their minds until it became a self fulfilling prophecy.
A good friend suggested that I be careful in my blog about too often showing the bad side of life in Grenada. He was right. Of course there is a bad side to living and ministering anywhere and our sinful nature has this insane tendency to focus on what is wrong. Full church on Sunday and we focus on the couple who weren’t there! Yikes! So, I thought that this month I would talk about what I really like and admire about living and ministering here. The end of August found us back in Grenada after a month long furlough in the states. The trip was wonderful and we accomplished so much, visiting family, doctors appointments, taxes, and other business issues. But we really missed not being here and longed to go home to Grenada.
So what did we miss? The slower pace of things. Traffic is sooo stressful in the States! Everyone is obsessed with accomplishing things and schedules. In Grenada people tend to be more concerned about people. Not everyone is this way of course. It is silly to stereotype because every person is unique and there are rare Grenadians who don’t seem to care about anyone, but most of them do. I watched an interesting video on Utube that I think really reflects the kind of priorities you often find on the island and how they differ from what I was used to. I tried and failed to upload it onto my page, but here is the link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McvCJley7
Putting people first affects everything. When you meet people in the store you greet them with a big beaming smile and you stop to talk and ask how they are doing, even if you don’t know them well or at all. In restaurants they remember what you like and ask about you and your family and remember when you tell them. It is not uncommon to receive several blessings a day for good health and prosperity and protection for you and family. It is a little like being part of a small town in the US like Mischicot, WI where all my relatives are from. Everyone knows everyone and for the most part wishes them well. A great example of this is the large group of members who wanted to meet us at the airport when we returned. Unfortunately, the buses didn’t run that late and those picking us up needed the space for all our luggage. But I can’t remember ever being met at the airport by members of a congregation glad to have you back.
Another aspect that I missed is the lively worship at Grace. It just seems to me that the people of Grace worship from the heart. They are exuberant in their praise and openly personal in their prayers. You can tell that they are into the message whenever God’s Word is taught. Often people who visit us comment on this. About a half dozen other ways to praise the people here come to my mind, their endurance, their love of music, their resilience, their raw talent, their creativity. They will have to wait for another blog. In closing I want also praise our Father for allowing us to serve in such a beautiful place. There are some places for me that make you feel like you are closer to God. The Cascade Mountains were one of those places. That is why I so loved to hunt there every year when we lived there. It is impossible in those mountains not to feel small, like you are standing before your Maker in all His glory. Grenada is that way. It isn’t a tourist trap built for man’s glory like many other vacation locations. This island is famous for its stunning natural beauty and that is fanatically guarded by its people. Rarely does a day go by when I do not find myself in conversation with God about what amazing work he did here. It will be exactly a year we have been here on September 15th. I am still pinching myself to see if it is real. God bless your week and don’t forget to hand out some praise!

