Oct 1, 2020
By JR Shick
A friend and mentor once told me that it is easier to keep a ball rolling than to let it stop and try to start it again once it stops. I have found this to be extremely wise advice! (Thanks, Mr. Ed!) However you are processing this current season we find ourselves in, we have the opportunity to reflect on what we were doing (rolling the ball) and re-evaluate the direction of our lives. You might be thinking, “How do we keep the ball rolling if we are heading in a new direction?” Sometimes it is easiest to go back to the basics by remembering why we are rolling this ball in the first place and why were we called “…for a time such as this….”
I have seen firsthand the power of God inspiring and motivating in ways that I would never expect. When God moves, HE moves! A person who has a passion for God while being led by the Spirit of God has the incredible power to motivate, encourage, and empower individuals. I was able to experience this astonishing power just a couple weeks ago in my own family. Different ministries and gatherings were consistent at the parsonage in White Cloud prior to our state’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order. For some, trying to climb the three steps required to enter the house was difficult, and for others, impossible. These three steps granted access for only those without a walker or wheelchair. This bothered my wife, Sarah, as she felt the need to have everyone be invited and welcomed to the parsonage, not just those who could manage the three steps. She felt so moved that she started to do research on ramps. Sarah asked her father for advice as he is quite a tradesman. As the two of them ran configurations, Dad felt motivated to come to White Cloud and take measurements to help get the exact numbers for the configurations. He lives four hours away. Multiple plans were discussed and worked on. While working on the plans, Dad stated he would volunteer to do the labor if the church would pay for the materials. My son Keith was listening and asked if he could help by using the computer to create a 3D image of the ramp…he was 10 years old at the time. The project, Access For All, was presented to the Trustees and approval was given to begin construction of a ramp. Dad and Mom brought their camper along with a trailer full of the tools we would need to build a ramp. Then the work began!! The work took about three weeks. As the work was being done, people from the community would stop to inquire who was injured in our family so severely a ramp was necessary. It was quite touching that neighbors, city police officers, members from other churches, and friends expressed genuine concern for our family. My dad would reply, “This is the parsonage and the church wants access for everyone.” The invite is for all to come and now there is Access For All. My wife, on fire from the Lord, told me she had this, to stay out of the planning, and focus on my workload. I loved watching everything unfold and for the record, I did not participate in anything except the labor…and loved it!
This is exactly why we need the body to work together so the ball keeps rolling. We need to allow others to roll the ball for a while so we can take a break and reflect. So where do we start? Start with…focus. Consider why we started the ball rolling in the first place. We are servants and servants…serve! We help when help is needed. We seek the needs of others by spending time encouraging our neighbors through prayer, work, and service. We must see all people as Children of God and show them compassion as we work together. We encourage and bring along others to help serve. I find other people want to help. People just need to be asked and pointed in the right direction. We intentionally share our talents the Lord has blessed us so abundantly with. As we share in the service to advance God’s Kingdom, we will find that we have little to do with the ball rolling at all. It is actually rolling because God is pushing…we need to follow HIM in how HE works!!
The time and the way we serve may look a little different for now; however, we are blessed from those who were faithful in preserving our heritage: “We will…remember our past to inform our present and plan for the future.” (Quote taken from the September 2015 Sabbath Recorder, page 17.) Our churches are still working, maybe not the way we used to, but still working. We still are called to worship, teach and share in the Gospel. This article was inspired by the denomination’s Vision Map developed by our General Council. I felt called to share with you how I see this vision being lived out in our community and maybe God will roll you in a new and different direction. John 13:34-35: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (NIV 1984)
JR Shick has been the Pastor of the White Cloud SDB Church in Michigan for the past 6 years. He has been married to his wife Sarah for 16 years and they have 2 children, daughter Kashya, 14, and a son Keith III, 11.
