Jimbo's Jots

I recently started rereading a book by Robert Fulghum. Fulghum is the author of All I Ever Needed I Learned in Kindergarten. In the current book that I’m reading, It Was on Fire When I Lay Down On It, he tells the stories of the significant of the non-important. Most of the stories are rather humorous as you could probably guess.

Here are some highlights of some of the stories he shares:

• The title story is about a guy rescued from a fire and the statement was what he gave to the first responders when they found him;
• The mother of the bride who wanted everything perfect, only to have her daughter get sick on just about everyone in the wedding party as she got to the end of the aisle;
• The writer of the song, Jingle Bells

Jesus dealt with the non-important every day while he was here on earth. In fact, it was in those moments that he thrived. What about his guests he would invite to meals – not the religious leaders of his day, and especially not the Roman officials who watched his step. He made the insignificant feel important. He gave hope to the hopeless. He walked in life along with the common people.

And when He needed to, he took the mundane and made it extraordinary:

• Feeding 5000
• Healing a paralytic that was lowered from a rooftop
• Calmed the waves in a storm
• Turned water to wine

And beyond that, turned ordinary people into bold proclaimers of his life:

• Simon – now named Peter
• Mary of Magdala – healed of many demons
• Lazarus – raised from the dead
• Saul – now named Paul

“No insignificant person was ever born.” – George W. Bush

Think about that! I work with people all of the time whose primary cause of anxiety and stress is how they think of themselves. So we start the process of helping them see their significance in life.

Follow the words of this song:

“I will change your name / You shall no longer be called / Wounded, outcast, lonely or afraid

I will change your name / Your new name shall be / confident, joyfulness, overcoming one

Faithfulness, friend of God, One who seeks my face” DJ Butler

So, what story do you want to write about yourself? Or maybe, how do you want the story to be read about you? Know and live that God takes the unimportant and makes you significant in His story.

Be blessed and be a blessing!