Friday was the skate camp at Shepherd Community (those are some of the donated boards that I put together for the campers that didn't have a skateboard). We had around 30 kids, and got to break up each instructor with 2-3 kids, so there was a good instructor/camper ratio which made for some good personal interactions. We did an all day camp, complete with snacks and water and lunch, and did a small devotional with the kids. I talked briefly to the older, more experienced skaters about griptape. Skating without griptape is an awful idea, because without it you can't do any tricks. You can have a complete skateboard, but if you don't have griptape, it's practically useless to a street skater. Just like with Jesus: you can have the entire world, but if you don't have Jesus, it's all meaningless. He's what makes it all worthwhile, and He enables us to do incredible things. There was a good response, the kids seemed to get it.
So then, after a great demo by the King of Kings guys [highlight: nollie flip up the bank land one foot down the other side of the bank, Dave Voetberg] I blasted off and went to Circle Center Mall in the heart of Indianapolis. I paid the meter and skated towards the food court, where I enjoyed some bourbon chicken. I found a bench in the mall and started reading for the day, Philippians 3-4. The following verse, specifically, struck me as all the teeny boppers and middle aged women, husbands and "gangsters" walked by me, occasionally brushing the edge of my Bible with their fat shopping bags: Philippians 3:8 "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."
I wonder, if Jesus were in the mall would He weep. Not because of all the things people can buy, necessarily, but because of all the money that people spend that isn't going into the Kingdom, it's going into themselves. I'm so guilty of it. I see a shirt with a cool graphic on it, and I want to buy it, and more often than not I do buy it. I get caught up in trying to wear cool clothes, instead of really just being thankful for any sort of fabric draped across my body to keep me from shaming myself in the nude. I'm giving up my entitlement to a vicious self image to let Jesus allow me to see how beautiful I am no matter what clothes I wear. I'm not condemning the purchase of articles of clothing, but really, is that God's money well spent? There are so many Christians, apparently, here in America, so why is our culture so submerged in dirt. Everywhere I look I'm practically spitting rocks and dust out of my mouth.
I'm incredibly guilty of the following things: having more than 2 or 3 shirts, pairs of pants, socks, underwear, etc. I don't think it's a crime to have an abundance of something, but when others have so little... Get ready for this: Luke 3:8-11 "Do the things that show you really have changed your hearts and lives. Don't begin to say to yourselves,'Abraham is our father.' I tell you that God could make children for Abraham from these rocks! (DANG) The ax is now ready to cut down the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." The people asked John,"Then what should we do?" John answered,"If you have two shirts, share with the person who does not have one. If you have food, share that also."" Does that rock you? I'm looking for a way that I can give away some clothes to a family that would really use them. I don't just want to give them to Goodwill or something like that, but it may come to that. Let me know what you guys think about it.
This is a picture I took from the demo on Wednesday at East 91st Church in the parking lot right next to one of the ramps. It's cool that Jesus is everywhere. Sometimes we have to squint, and other times He just reaches out and grabs us!
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