The One We Serve

Yesterday after the second service at our church, I called my husband on the way home. (Is your family like ours, most often driving 2 vehicles to church because of various meetings and commitments?) Wally, who works for our local association, had just finished preaching three services for one of the other churches in the county. We agreed that I would pick him up and we would head to a Zaxby's for a quick bite to eat because the "grocery fairy" hadn't visited our house in a long while.

As we entered the restaurant, we quickly noticed how full the fast-food, chicken chain was with most every table taken. I spied friends from our home church and they waved us over to claim a table near theirs. Wally ordered and I began the prepping the table with our young daughters.

Before we could sit down to eat, I realized that Wally had been stopped by a large group at another table. While he was fellowshipping there and I was chatting with our friends, the next thing I knew a whole cup of red Fanta soda hit the floor making a mess way to big to be tackled with a handful of paper napkins. Honestly, it was another meal out for the Vinsons . . . (sigh)

Eventually, we did get to eat. The staff was quick to clean up the sticky mess and a new cup of soda was gotten. Wally explained to me why half the patrons at the place looked so familiar to me. There were at least three churches from our association present.

Looking back on it now, I pray that our reaction to our daughter's accidental spill modeled a Christ-like response. Yes, if I handled things poorly I had the potential of being "discussed" literally all over the county. But, honestly, that didn't enter my mind at the time. You see, Ladies, we, not as ministers' wives, but as Christians are ALWAYS on display.

Clarksville is the 5th fastest growing area in the United States and has an un-churched rate of over 80%. These two facts are mind-staggering to me. The odds are pretty good that 8 of every 10 people there didn't know Jesus yesterday.

If we hadn't handled the spilt soda well, not only would we not have represented the association well, we would have also misrepresented our Jesus. It was obvious that we had our Sunday church clothes on. What kind of hypocrites would we have appeared to be if we had reamed out the girls right there . . . literally in front of God and everyone?

Yes, being a minister's wife does hold me to a DIFFERENT standard, but it is no higher, or better, or harder than being held to Christ's standard. He has called me to holiness. He is whose name I represent. He is my true audience of One.

Just a reminder this morning that He is the One we serve.