Sanctuary | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Sanctuary | Previous Challenge Entry
By John Esposito
03/18/15
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Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You.

There is a lot going on there. That is a huge request. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all felt that way and truly wanted to become a sanctuary for God?

Where people can come to pray and worship. Where someone can come to sing hymns and songs of praise. A place where people can hug in celebration and be hugged in mourning. A place to shout out the Word for others to hear or just sit next to someone in silence.

All of this through you, with you, and because of you.

Pure and holy, to live our lives like Jesus. Pure by being able to lay hands on others. To never think about someone’s faults. To speak only positive and encouraging words. To actually live out the Ten Commandments.

Holy by being able to love your neighbor as yourself. To heal someone by words or by good deeds. To feed the hungry even when there isn’t enough. To do to others as you would have them do to you. To be the lamp for someone’s path. To always be the hands and feet of Christ.

Tried and true, to walk the walk and talk the talk. To be tested by trials and tribulations and to share your journey with others. To stand at the crossroads and not be afraid to ask for guidance.

I have been really busy lately. I had a great Toys For Tots toy drive this year. In February I had a wonderful mission trip in Kentucky. Then ended the month by fasting for 30 hours with our youth group for World Vision. I was just commissioned a Stephen Minister. I am mentoring a child for our next Confirmation class. And I’m on team for the upcoming Men’s Tres Dias weekend.

I’m not boasting, I’m just saying that these are my sanctuaries. I’m always trying to stay in the loop with God. These things keep me focused and grounded. I’m a little tired, but being tried and true actually gives me strength.

I am half way through a five week series about Lent at church. After the first meeting I witnessed the most amazing thing. There is an older couple in the class that are in their late sixties early seventies. Paul is a retired engineer and Winn is a retired school teacher.

We have sat across from each other a few times during a church pot luck dinner, but really never got to know each other. They are sometimes hard to talk to. Paul never talks down to you, but will talk over you. Winn will never listen to what you are saying, but is quick to correct you.

They always reminded me of the painting by Grant Wood called “American Gothic.” It’s the painting of the farmer holding a pitch fork standing next to who I thought was his wife, but she is actually his daughter.

Winn has recently had a bunch of mini strokes that has left her in need of Paul 24 hours a day. Sometimes she just blurts things out in class that has nothing to do with the topic. One night after
class I was helping Paul put the TV and DVD player away when Winn yells out,

“I’m ready Paul lets go.”

“Hold on babe I’ll be with you in a minute.”

“Yes, but I’m ready now like you asked me to be.”

“Thank you babe, I’ll be right back. I just have to put the TV away.”

“OK sweetie, I’ll be right here waiting for you.”

That five to ten second conversation stopped me in my tracks and brought tears to my eyes. I saw them in a whole new light. Paul could have easily snapped at her, but was pure and holy by being patient and calling her babe. Winn being tried and true and with thanksgiving replied, “OK sweetie.”

The look on both of their faces was agape and phileo dancing in true harmony. And the twinkle that Winn had in her eye may have even had a little eros in there too. The love that they shared with me that night and not even knowing what they did was beautiful and I will always cherish that the rest of my life. They were individual sanctuaries for God that night. They were my sanctuary that night.

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