Just Call Me Chef Babs
WEEK 3!!! Cannot believe that it has already been three weeks. I mean I am writing this a few weeks late but still.
This week was very different from all the others. Tyler left to go home early and Maggie and I had a small group from Wisconsin coming. It was weird without Tyler but Maggie, Chris and I rocked this week out. This Wisconsin group was really different from the previous two groups. They were an older group in the age ranges of 40 to 50 years of age. This group was also really independent and did their own thing most of the time. It was a huge shift from the previous two weeks with middle school students.
This week, I was on hospitality and my main worry was to make sure the food was out for the group and that they did not go hungry. I did not have to go out and serve with the group but had the choice if I wanted to. This week was relaxing and I had a lot of fun preparing food for the group and hanging out with them during the meal times. I also got a lot of training in for my marathon during this week.
I believe that each week God teaches me at least one thing about myself. I really enjoyed being on hospitality and I think God revealed to me that I am gifted in this area. It just came naturally to me and I want to be more hospitable during the school year. After the third week, we all had a two week and I ended up going back to Iowa. It was such a great time and I got to process what had happened in the past three weeks. During the break, I identified a huge barrier that has kept me from being hospitable. Money. Greed. I believe many of us struggle with this and may not even know it. I like material things and so ashamed to say sometimes I like them too much and when I think about my greed, I am just reminded about some passages in the Bible about money.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6: 24)
These two verses have it all right. Where your treasure is, is totally where your heart will be. Being a college student, I have always had this belief that I am poor. On the way home to Iowa, I listened to this sermon about money by Breakaway Ministries in Texas and something stuck out to me. I am not as poor as I have always believed. We, as college students are still in the top 10% of the world’s wealth. Yep, TOP 10 percent. So, why am I hoarding this money that I have been blessed with even though to my sinful self is not much? Yes, being smart with finances is important but there is need for a balance in my life and many others. We as Followers of Jesus need to remember what is really important and that is to lead people to Christ and not to overflow our “earthy” purses and set treasures here on this earth that will just pass away.
“Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys” (Luke 12:33).
This week really helped me realized this gift from God and that I need to be using it for Him. I don't want to be holding this gift back from people because of the fear of spending too much money. My sin of greed has been keeping me from serving God and I am so thankful for this week to have revealed that to me. I have it on my heart to open my apartment doors to people this upcoming school year. I am still going to be struggling with this sin of greed for a while but through Jesus I can overcome it. I have learned to choose Jesus and not just dwell in this sin. I want to grow in this gifted area of hospitality and though God I know without doubt that it will happen. He is faithful to us when we choose Him over sin. Our world is full of greed and as a believer of Christ, my citizenship is in heaven and God has pushed me this week to be a light and have open doors to serve people this upcoming school year. I am full of excitement to see what He has in store this upcoming school year for me in this area. God bless.
Babs
