December 7, 2008

Isaiah 40:1-11

You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!"—Isaiah 40:9

In retrospect, I believe we all understand the fragile social boundaries that formed our high school existence. For the most part, we are trained to coexist in one large community, but are expected to understand our niche and are to contently live within its constraints. Well, sorry, things are never that simple with me. I was a band geek, a jock and an art weirdo all wrapped up in one and was “blessed” with a knack for openly voicing my opinion. Part of my responsibility as a band geek was to hang outside the band room doors and act like a dork. Mostly, I was content to oblige those expectations, but sometimes I was compelled to make myself heard. You see, the Special Education classroom was directly across the hall and, as you can imagine, there was often grossly inappropriate rhetoric cast in the direction of those students. I am not sure if it was my unique gift of verbal confrontation getting the best of me, a genuine expression of caring or a lot of both. Probably a lot of both. Either way, I felt it was my responsibility to call out these rude passers by and make sure that it was understood that their tasteless behavior would not be tolerated around that section of the hallway and that they best apologize and get on with their own business. I believe it is this type of small, not so random act of caring that makes God’s word powerful among mankind. A day full, decade full, life full of voicing God’s word is what makes it infinite.

Pray: God, give me the strength to spread Your word. No matter how insignificant, help it to bless those around me and live forever in Your eternal light. Amen.

Stephen Barr grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa, was further educated in Kirksville, Missouri and has made a life as father, husband and advertising Creative in Webster Groves, Missouri. His family, his healthy apatite for music and his unhealthy obsession with proper football are the spices of his life.