Week 29 - #Prepare “Share”

“Netflix-tions & Hulu-cinations”

Hebrews 13:16 "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

Romans 12:13 "Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

I wonder why starting at a very young age it is so difficult to share with others.

Why is it that one of the very first words we learn from infancy is "mine"?

During these long months of the global pandemic, one of the peripheral non-life threatening, however life sucking symptoms, has been binge TV watching. These “Netflix-tions,” sometimes causing “Hulu-cinations,” often zap hours of precious time from us all, never to be regained.

However even in the mindlessness of binge watching God can deliver a needed message, through a simple made for cable series.

So here is the message I heard embedded in my latest commitment to sit on the couch while staring at the screen, that is related to our topic today focusing on the preparation to share.

The scene takes place in a fictitious remote town where a group of lifelong friends have gathered in the living room of a beautiful farmhouse. The owner of the home is being showered by love and affection as the ladies all take turns reminiscing about their friendship and lives together. Eventually the ladies say their goodbyes and head to their homes. Later, the town doctor stops by and is invited to stay for dinner. The doctor agrees and enjoys a cup of coffee on the porch while the woman’s daughter prepares dinner. With the events of her day the woman decides she needs to lie down to take a nap for a while. This loving woman and single mom has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. When her daughter goes to wake her up for dinner she finds her mother unresponsive and calls out for the doctor to come. The doctor finds no pulse as she has passed away in her sleep.

Needless to say, it is a very emotional setting. The daughter is distraught and through her tears and emotion cries out “I wish I spent more time. I wish I had more time.”

In those simple but poignant words, God reminded me how precious life is and of the urgency to prepare to “share” with those we particularly love, the most valuable gift we possess, our time.

What are we saving our sharing for? When "it’s convenient"? When we are "comfortable"? When "we feel like (Fill in the Blank)"?

Whatever our reasons, when we withhold things like sharing our “time”, (something if we make it important we all have), keeps us from being fully “prepared.”

The phrase “Sharing is Caring” was trademarked by the Salvation Army in 1950. It’s fitting since they have spent years caring for others. Founded in 1865 in East End London, they begin providing gifts and meals for the elderly, sick, and underprivileged. This simple coined phrase can teach us all a lesson.

We are all reminded in Hebrews 13:16 to practice our sharing, "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

In this hour of preparation, do you have time to share? Time to listen? Time to mentor? Time to play? Time to love?

Sharing the gift of yourself doesn't cost anything except time. In essence we have no time to lose.

DADs, you are on the clock. There is no time NOT to share. Prepare to share today.

Let’s don’t say in the end, “I wish I had spent more time…”

To God be the glory!

DADs,

“get in the game”…

Today is game day…and so is every day…

God gives you! So…C’mon Men Suit Up!

**Today we prepare to “Share.” Next week we will consider how critical it is to prepare to “dare."

Note:*For this new year of 2021, the combination of my age (understanding my own fragile mortality), this current and ongoing global pandemic, and most recently the personal loss I’ve experienced of one of my students, has amplified the need to land on one word...#Prepare.

In this "pursuit to prepare" I am determined to dedicate the 52 weeks of 2021 blogging every Week about one aspect of preparation God lays on my heart.

As mentioned in week 1, the word “prepare” means “to establish, fix, or apply.” It conveys the idea of deliberate effort over a prolonged period of time.